Fix My Broken Heart
by MyImmortal329
Summary: Sometimes things unravel before you can even figure out why. But then the world changes, and all you can do is pick up the pieces of the life you leave behind and try to survive. What happens when two broken hearts who have already lost so much face a harsh new reality when the dead begin to walk the earth? AU/ZA
1. Chapter 1: What Have I Done?

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing from The Walking Dead.

AU/ZA

Fix My Broken Heart

Chapter 1: What Have I Done?

_Oh God. What have I done?_

The thick summer heat lay over her like a blanket as she sprawled across the mattress. She ran her fingers through her short, auburn-graying hair. Her blue eyes were blown wide as she let out a shaky, slow breath and ran her hand down her neck and over her bare breasts. She felt his hand, heavy and warm against her hip as he trailed it up over her belly, fingertips dancing over the pale marks from pregnancy, badges of honor, he'd once called them, easing her anxiety.

"That was…"

"I know," she breathed out, eyes fluttering closed when his hand moved up her stomach and over her breast, fingers flickering over the nipple briefly before she rolled to her stomach, the satisfying cool of the air against her freshly exposed back drawing out a moan of relief.

"What was that?" he finally drawled out, propping his chin in his hand, staring at her as his free hand wandered over the glorious curve of her backside.

"It was…I don't know," she murmured, blinking back the tears she'd sworn she wouldn't shed.

"Baby, look at me," he murmured, his hand smoothing over the jut of her shoulder blade as she burrowed her face into the pillow for a moment. She turned her head again, and a smile flickered up at the corner of his mouth. "What happened to us?"

"I've been asking you the same thing for the past six months," she pointed out, her hand moving out to graze over his arm. "Six months." She sighed heavily, wiping at a tear that slid down her cheek.

"Hey, don't cry."

"I can't help it. It's…it's an end. That's what this is." She sat up suddenly, pulling the sheets up over herself, her fingers shaking as her eyes clenched shut, and she willed the tears away. But when she felt the bed shift, her eyes flashed open, and the tears flowed again.

"Don't have to be," he said quietly, his hand moving under the sheet to grasp her fingers. "This was…didn't you feel it?"

"I did," she sniffled. "I did, and I'm terrified."

"Why? It's what we wanted, isn't it? Right?" He reached for then, pulling her close, and she willingly slid into his lap, her legs circling his waist. She rested her forehead against his for a moment, as his hands moved up her shoulders and neck, his thumb wiping across her cheek to brush away a stray tear.

"You pulled away from me," she breathed. "Tonight you were here, and things were...things were good. I had fun, and then we fell into the same pattern. We kissed goodnight, and here we are." She sniffled and shook her head. "I need to think, Daryl. I need to think." He sighed heavily, pressing kisses to her neck and her clavicle. "I can't think like this."

"You kickin' me out? You tellin' me to go?" His eyes were fixed on hers now, and she shook her head helplessly.

"I don't…I don't know."

"Don't end this. Please don't. Don't throw this away. I messed up. I did. I shoulda let you in. I'm sorry I…"

"Hey," she murmured, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "We're not going back there, remember? We're moving on."

"I can't," he choked out, his hands trembling as he stroked her arms. She leaned into him, kissing him softly now, stroking his hair, pressing her hand against his chest, feeling his heart hammering there.

"It's ok," she whispered, her voice cracking as she fought back a heavy sob. "Please. Daryl, it's ok. You can talk to me."

_Six months earlier_

_To some, the sounds would have gone unnoticed. In a hospital, a beep was just another beep, blending into the background of the hisses and bleeps of machines doing what people couldn't. To Daryl, they were deafening. Each beep was another moment without her. Each tick of the clock was one moment closer to delivering the most devastating news she would ever hear. _

_He clutched her pale hand, running his thumb over and over the simple gold wedding band on her finger, and with his free hand, he rubbed his face, feeling the stubble from three days of not shaving scratching at his fingertips. The doctors had examined her this morning. She was still in and out of consciousness, but they said she was healing. They said she was getting better. They said she'd wake up. Hell, they'd said she'd waked up yesterday, and she hadn't. Her eyes had fluttered open briefly, but she hadn't focused on anything before slipping away again. Did she know he was there? Did she know he'd been there every moment since she'd come out of surgery?_

_"Baby, I'm so sorry," he murmured, kissing her knuckles. "Please wake up. Please forgive me. Please." She didn't answer him. She lay there, her eyes closed, her lips drawn in a grim frown. She had a bandage wrapped around her head from the stitches. Her head had hit the window hard the second the other pickup t-boned them. It was all a blur. It had happened so quickly, but at the same time, he could remember the details as if they had happened in slow motion. _

_Oh God. What have I done? _

_He was holding onto her hand with both hands now, and he was bowing his head. He'd never been much of a praying man. He'd only prayed one other time in his life, but that day had turned out pretty damned good, and he hoped this one would, too. _

_"Don't know if you're up there. If you're listening. You ain't never done much for me. Least not 'til she came along. You can't take her away. Couldn't live with it. She's gotta be ok. I'm lost. Don't know what I'm doin'. What I'm gonna do. And S…"_

_"Daryl." He opened his eyes and looked at her, watching the way her brows furrowed as she struggled to wake up. His heart leapt in his chest. Maybe God was listening, after all.. _

_"I'm here, sweetheart. I'm right here." He gave her hand a little squeeze. "Open your eyes, Carol." She winced in pain before her eyes fluttered open. "Hey."_

_"Hey," she whispered weakly, a little smile drawing across her lips. "Oh God, what happened?" She blinked a few times, trying to adjust to her surroundings. There was a vase filled with Cherokee roses, her favorite flower. There were balloons tethered to the end of herbed. There was a pinching sensation in her arm, and she could hear the beep of a monitor close by._

_"It's ok," he urged. "Just relax. It's ok."_

_"Daryl, why am I here?" she asked, her lower lip trembling, as her hand moved down the blanket, over her stomach which felt bulky and sore, but something wasn't right. She gasped softly, trying to sit, feeling a deep, throbbing pain as she made her attempt. She cried out._

_"Hey. Hey, it's ok. Just lay back."_

_"Daryl, something's not..the baby. Daryl, where's my baby? Where's Mackenzie?" Daryl swallowed hard, staring into her eyes, unable to form the words. "Daryl, where's our baby girl? She's too early. She's…is she in the NICU? Where…"_

_"Kenzie's not here, baby," he said quietly, stroking her hand. "It was too early. She didn't…" _

_"No," she whimpered, her eyes welling with tears. "Don't tell me that. Please, Daryl. Don't tell me our little girl's gone."_

_"I'm sorry, Carol. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She shook her head again, the tears sliding down her cheeks freely now. _

_"Please stop. Stop. Don't say it. Don't."_

_"I'm so sorry. It's my fault. I'm so sorry." He broke down then. He hated himself in that moment. He'd sworn to be strong for her, to let her take out her anger and her grief in whatever way she needed to. He'd be the strong one. But in that moment, it all came pouring out of him. He hated himself. He wished it had been him instead, not his precious daughter. Not this life he and Carol had been preparing for. Her nursery was already painted in purple and pink. She was a blessed addition to the family; a wanted miracle. And now they'd never get to know her._

_"No," she cried. "My baby. I just want my baby."_

He flinched and pulled back, and he saw her face crumble. She sighed and shook her head.

"We're here again. You won't talk to me. You won't."

"You know why," he muttered, moving to sit on the side of the bed.

"Then you need to go." She moved behind him, gently pressing a kiss to the back of his neck. "We can't do this if you can't talk to me. And you can't be here in the morning. It's too much. It's too confusing."

"I need time."

"I know," she breathed. "I know. So did I. But I need to be alone. I can't…I can't think with you here."

"So that's your decision?" He'd come over that night to help make that decision. It had to be mutual. They had promised each other that much. But neither of them could give up the other, and that was how they'd ended up here. Tonight. In her bed. In _their_ bed.

"No," she said quietly. "But you know why you can't stay." He nodded, his shoulders slumping as he made a grab for his clothes.

"I'm going." He pushed up off the bed and started to pull his clothes on. Carol watched him, watched the way his hands trembled as he did up the buttons on his jeans.

"You aren't going, are you?"

"What?"

"To Dr. Blake," Carol said quietly.

"'Course I'm goin'. I'm there when you are."

"Not to our joint session. To _your_ sessions. The ones you're supposed to go with her. The ones that are supposed to help you talk to me, since you won't talk to me in therapy and you won't talk to me here."

"You know why," he muttered again.

"I get it," she said softly, watching as he shrugged on his shirt and stuffed his feet into his boots. "But you know I don't blame you."

"Makes one of us. I was s'posed to protect you. That was on me."

"You had no way of knowing what would happen, Daryl!" she exclaimed, wiping fresh tears away. "I didn't. And I don't hate you. I don't."

"Maybe you should," he decided, looking around frantically for his keys and wallet before remembering he'd left them on the coffee table downstairs. And then he was out the door, before she could speak again.

"I couldn't," she whispered to nobody. "I couldn't hate you even if I tried."

Out in the hall, Daryl crept quietly to the stairs, his hands still shaking as he reached out toward the banister. It was when he heard a noise behind him that he turned, hoping Carol had changed her mind, hoping she wasn't going to make him leave again.

"Daddy?" His gaze fell on the sleepy face of his six-year-old daughter.

"Soph," he said quietly. "It's late, honey. You need to go to sleep."

"Are you home for good, Daddy?" Daryl sighed heavily, and he looked up to see Carol's door open. She stood there in her white bathrobe, her eyes red from crying, her lower lip trembling as she leaned her head against the side of the door. She'd been asking for months. When's Daddy coming home? When's Daddy coming home? She didn't quite grasp the situation the way they'd hoped, and every time she'd come from a weekend at her daddy's, she'd cry herself to sleep for a couple of nights, asking her mother why they all couldn't just live together.

"Hey, Princess," he said quietly, kneeling down, his gaze catching Carol's briefly. "What're you doin' up?"

"Got thirsty," she said softly. She looked up at her mother. "Mama, is Daddy home for good?" Carol sighed and sniffled, and she looked to Daryl.

"Hey, I'll tell ya what," Daryl offered, scooping his little girl up into his arms, tickling her, making her laugh, hoping to make her forget her question for a little bit, "why don't I tuck you in? Show mama how we chase away the monsters when you stay with me, huh?"

"Okay!" Sophia giggled, having completely forgotten about her thirst. She hugged her daddy around the neck, and he carried her off toward her bedroom. Carol sniffled again but followed them, standing in the doorway as Daryl gently tucked his daughter under the covers.

"G'night, Princess Sophia Elizabeth Dixon." Each name was punctuated with a kiss on the forehead, then the nose, then the cheek. She giggled as he tickled her afterward. Carol couldn't help but smile at the scene.

"Don't forget to chase the monsters away, Daddy!" she called.

"'Course I won't." He made a grand gesture of lifting up the bed skirt and peeking under it. "Alright, you big, bad monsters, this is Sophia's daddy, and I'm tellin' you now, you better get, 'cause you don't wanna mess with me." Sophia gigged, pulling her covers up over her nose, peeking out as Daryl got up and moved to her closet. He opened the door and turned on the light. "Nope. No monsters in here. But if any of 'em are hidin' in Soph's toy box, they better get goin', 'cause they don't want no trouble. Right, Soph?"

"Right!" she said with a nod. Carol covered her hand with her mouth, muffling a little giggle as Daryl made his way to her window, checking to make sure the screen was secure as the gentle Georgia breeze drifted in. It was a quiet night, almost completely black out with the new moon. He peered out over the yard, seeing nothing but a squirrel skittering across the damp grass and scurrying up a tree.

"The monsters are gone, Soph. They come back, you just spray 'em with this, alright?" He grabbed a water bottle off her night stand. Carol had made it up for her about a year ago, when she'd started having nightmares. It was just a regular plastic bottle that Carol had craftily decorated with a handmade label that said 'Monster Spray.' It was filled with plain old tap water, but it worked so well that when Daryl had gotten his apartment, she'd made one for Sophia to take along on her weekend visits with her daddy.

"Daddy, will you be here in the morning?"

"Daddy's gotta work, sweetpea," he said quietly, stroking her reddish-blond hair. "But I'll see you Saturday, ok?"

"Saturday's too far away."

"Hey, I love you, you know that, right?" Sophia nodded.

"Love you too, Daddy."

"Good girl." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "You sleep tight, Soph."

"Night, Daddy." Daryl got up and moved past Carol and out into the hallway. Carol gently shut Sophia's door behind her, and she reached out instinctively to touch Daryl's arm. He recoiled.

"Don't."

"Daryl. I'm sorry."

"The weekend ain't enough."

"We can work something out," she promised.

"No." He shook his head. "I want my family back. Wanna sleep in my own damned bed. Wanna make love to my wife without worryin' she's gonna kick me out when we're done." Carol flinched.

"I don't know what to do, Daryl," she whispered, her gaze dropping to the floor. "You tell me you want to be with me, but then you draw away when I want you to talk to me. It's like you're two different people. It scares me."

"I wouldn't hurt you. I'd _never_ hurt you." Carol reached out, gently touching his cheek.

"I know that. It's one of the many reasons I love you so damned much." He pulled her into his arms then, resting his forehead against hers as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's too much. It's too much for Sophia, Daryl. That's why I asked you to leave. I was depressed, and you were beating yourself up over something I told you wasn't your fault. You know it wasn't, but you still blamed yourself, and you pulled away. You went off with your brother, and you were doing God knows what, and I was terrified you were lying somewhere dead all that time. You pushed me away. You told me I was better off without you. Now you're telling me you want us back. I don't understand, Daryl."

"I don't either," he choked out. "I'm messed up."

"I think we both are," she said quietly. "That's why you need to keep up your appointments with Dr. Blake. Please, Daryl. I want us to be a family again. I don't want to get a divorce. I don't want this. I just want things the way they were. I want to move on. Together." She kissed him softly then, feeling his breath shuddering against her lips.

"I love you," he murmured, holding her close.

"I love you, too," she whispered, stroking his cheek. "And that means you have to go. I need you to go. Please, Daryl. Please. Don't make this harder than it already is, because you keep pushing, I'll let you stay, and things won't get any better." He nodded.

"M'sorry."

"God damn it, stop apologizing! I don't blame you. I don't hate you. I just need you to stop blaming yourself. I hate that it happened. But it happened. You were driving, but you didn't do this. You didn't kill our baby. It happened, Daryl. It just…it just happened." He ducked his head as if he'd been hit. "Please. Please stop blaming yourself. The man that did this was drunk. He was drunk, Daryl. He caused the wreck, he killed Kenzie. He's in prison, and he's paying. So stop trying to re-write the story. Stop trying to make it your fault, because I just…I can't take it anymore." She sniffled. "Sophia needs you. I need you. Please just forgive yourself so we can be a family again."


	2. Chapter 2: Stay

Chapter 2 – Scars

_Ten Months Ago_

_Daryl tossed his keys onto the end table and kicked his boots off in the mud room at the end of the hall. He could smell Carol's pot roast cooking in the kitchen, and he could hear Sophia's cartoons playing in the living room. He ducked into the room to see her sitting on the couch with her favorite doll, Elsa._

_"Hi Daddy," Sophia said with a big grin._

_"Hi, Princess," Daryl said with a tired smile. "Mama's in the kitchen?"_

_"Uh-huh! She said to say surprise! Oh, and…" Sophia hopped up off the couch and hurried over to give her daddy a big hug. He knelt down, catching her quickly just as she wrapped her arms around his neck in a big bear hug. He fell back onto the floor, chuckling and holding his little girl in his arms. _

_"Surprise, huh?"_

_"Uh-huh! Now you're supposed to go in the kitchen and kiss her," Sophia giggled._

_"I am, huh?"_

_"Yup." _

_"Alright. Can I get a kiss from my favorite girl, first?"_

_"Daddy, Mama's supposed to be your favorite girl," Sophia scolded._

_"Oh. Well, how about my favorite girl under the age of seven, then?"_

_"Oh, ok!" She gave her daddy a big kiss on the cheek, and Daryl chuckled, giving her a squeeze. He let her go so she could get back to Elsa and her cartoons, and Daryl pulled himself up and headed into the kitchen, where Carol was standing over the crock pot and adding seasonings. The radio was on, and she was swaying along to the music. He grinned, sneaking up behind her, but despite his stealthily quiet footsteps, she spun and came to face him just before he reached out and pulled his arms around her waist._

_"Damn, I can't ever sneak up on you."_

_"Well, you smell like the garage," Carol pointed out, crinkling her nose. "The smell of oil and gasoline kind of overpowers the pot roast."_

_"Damn, I'm starvin'," he muttered. She giggled as he pressed his mouth against her neck, and she pulled back. _

_"So?"_

_"So, what?"_

_"Did you see Sophia?"_

_"Yeah. She's watchin' cartoons and brushin' Elsa's hair."_

_"Notice anything different?"_

_"Shit, did she lose another tooth again? Gonna have to play tooth fairy again?"_

_"No," Carol giggled. _

_"She ok?"_

_"She's fine," Carol replied, her eyes twinkling with her laughter. Daryl sighed and kissed her softly. "Go on. Go in there again."_

_"What am I lookin' for? She said somethin' 'bout 'surprise' and how I was s'posed to come kiss ya."_

_"Yeah. You totally overlooked the most important detail, Pookie." Daryl sighed and shrugged, turning to head back into the living room. Carol leaned against the counter, watching him walk away._

_Daryl took a peek into the living room, and Sophia was now working hard at brushing her doll's hair. Her tongue stuck out of the corner of her mouth, and she hummed a song from her favorite movie as she worked. The shirt was white with pink and purple handmade letters on it._

_"Soph?" She looked up. "Let me see your shirt. Didn't see it good enough before."_

_"You're silly, Daddy," Sophia giggled. She moved Elsa, and that was when he saw the words._

_BIG SISTER...in eight months!_

_"Holy sh…" He stopped himself from cursing in front of his girl, and he turned quickly to return to the kitchen, where Carol was now turned back to the crock pot. "You serious?" He came up behind her, putting his hands on her waist, turning her to look at him. She couldn't contain the ecstatic grin that spread over her face. She nodded happily, stroking his cheek. "When'd you find out?"_

_"Today. Doctor says I'm about five weeks. I know it's early, but Daryl, we're having a baby. I have a good feeling about this. I really do." Daryl moved his hand down to her belly. "I'm scared. I'm a little nervous. We've been trying so long to give Sophia a baby brother or sister." _

_"Hey," Daryl murmured, falling to his knees, pulling at her waist and resting the side of his head against her still-flat stomach, "it's gonna be great. This baby. We're havin' a baby. Jesus, Carol." He held her close, and she ran her fingers through his hair, smiling as he pressed a kiss to her stomach. She bit her lip, giggling as he stood up and swept her into his arms. _

_"Daryl!"_

_"C'mon. We're celebratin'." Her laughter echoed through the house as he spun her around, kissing her over and over, unable to even remotely contain the sheer happiness he felt knowing that he was going to be a dad again, and their family would be changed forever._

Carol pulled herself out of the shower in the adjoining bathroom of her bedroom, and she slipped into her bedroom, standing before her vanity mirror at her dresser. She ran a towel through her short locks, letting her gaze fall over her bare form, down to the place she never liked to look. Her scar. She'd had Sophia naturally and had planned on having Mackenzie the same way, so waking up to find out that her baby was gone, that they'd had to cut her out of her body, well, it was a devastating thing. The scar was still pink and wasn't perfect. It had been a messy surgery, as they'd had to work to get the baby quickly and stop Carol's internal bleeding from the wreck.

_The fetus wasn't viable_. It was what the nurse had explained, even after she'd heard the news from Daryl. He'd held her hand and stroked her face and promised everything would be alright, and when the doctor and the nurse came in to speak with her, throwing all kinds of medical jargon around, she'd gotten very upset and just wanted to be left alone.

Later, after Daryl had gone home to take care of Sophia, the doctor had come back, explaining that Carol had lost a lot of blood and would have died had they not delivered. She explained that there was significant scar tissue, and the likelihood of Carol ever having more children was very small.

Now, as she ran her stomach down the smooth plane of her stomach and over the harsh, ridged scar, she closed her eyes and gasped softly, taking that one moment to remember, to grieve, to try to piece together how her life had come crashing down around her.

She thought of the way he'd held her last night, the way he'd kissed her and soothed an ache she'd been feeling for far too long. She thought of the way he'd looked at her like he still thought she was the most beautiful woman on earth. He made her feel loved, and to think of it broke her heart.

He'd made love to her as if he were afraid she was going to break. His kisses had been gentle at first, tentative. It had only been when he'd worked her up into a frenzy that she'd begged him to let go, and he'd given in to both of their needs, and it had been like old times, like the days when they were first married and could spend hours wrapped up in one another, bringing one another over the edge time and time again.

She heard the front door open downstairs, and she quickly snapped out of her thoughts and closed the bedroom door, pulled on her clothes on and ran a brush through her hair.

"Mama, Daddy's downstairs," Sophia called from outside the door.

"Come in, sweetie," Carol called to her daughter, who promptly opened the door and rushed in to hug her around her middle. "How was school?"

"Good! Mrs. Fisher says I'm making my y's better! See?" The little girl thrust a paper at her mother, proof that her handwriting was getting better. She was still amazed that her beautiful little girl was already in school. Every day she came home with some new knowledge that made Carol well with pride and want to cry at the same time.

"That's great, sweetheart," Carol said with a happy grin. "Mama's so proud of you!" Sophia beamed. "Go change into your after school clothes, and we'll go get an ice cream cone to celebrate. Does that sound good?!"

"Yeah!" Sophia exclaimed with a little hop. She hurried off to her bedroom. Carol cleared her throat and headed out of her room and down the stairs. Daryl was standing at the door, eyes scanning the room until he set his sights on her coming down the stairs in her sweats and a one of his old t-shirts. He smiled a little. He always loved it when she wore his clothes.

"You're early," she commented with a little smile.

"Yeah. Beat traffic. Took a shortcut," he said quietly. "I wanted to talk to ya."

"Ok," she said with a little nod.

"I, uh, wanted to tell ya I kept my appointment with Dr. Blake this mornin'."

"Oh," she said, a hint of surprise in her voice. "How'd it go? I mean, I'm not asking about what you talked about, I just…do you feel better?"

"A little. I mean, I dunno." Carol nodded.

"Ok," she said quietly. "Want to sit down?" He nodded shortly and followed her into the living room. His gaze flashed to the picture on the center of the mantle. It was from their wedding day, the happiest day of his life.

They took a seat on the couch, and Daryl cleared his throat.

"When you were lyin' in that hospital bed, all I could do was think about how I was gonna tell you our baby was gone," he said quietly. "How was I gonna tell Sophia she wasn't gettin' the little sister she was so excited for?" Carol put her hand over Daryl's on the couch cushion. "I know you don't blame me, but I blame me. I was drivin', and we were talkin', and I shoulda been more focused on the road."

"It was a green light, Daryl. That drunk ran the red light, and _that's_ why it happened."

"See, but you wasn't drivin' the car. I was. I coulda hit the brakes faster. I coulda done somethin'. Hell, we coulda taken a different route that day, but I went that way. I did."

"Daryl," she said with a heavy sigh, "you were there when I woke up. You were who I wanted to see. I was upset. I was devastated when you told me we lost our baby, but Daryl, I never hated you. I never blamed you, because I knew there was nothing you could have done." She sniffled and blinked back the tears. "When I came home from the hospital, it was like you were a different person. You treated me like I would break. You wouldn't talk to me. You'd go out fishing with Merle, or you'd go out on your bike, and I just, I was terrified that I was losing you."

"I was afraid," he admitted. "Afraid if I stuck around too long, you'd start lookin' at me, and I'd see it. The blame." Carol sighed with frustration.

"There wasn't…"

"Carol, we lost our daughter. I had…I had this picture in my head of the four of us, and then that was just gone. Those few days before you woke up were…I wanted to die, Carol. I just wanted to…"

"Hey," she soothed, giving his hand a squeeze. She bowed her head for a moment before she held his gaze again. "I missed you. After the hospital, you…it was like you were afraid to touch me. And when I tried to talk to you, you just made some excuse, like you wanted to get as far away from me. It hurt, Daryl. I thought…God, I didn't know what to think."

"M'sorry," he murmured. "Didn't wanna hurt you. Thought givin' you space, you might…we might…" He sighed with frustration. The words just wouldn't come.

"You took off for days with Merle. I didn't know what to do. I thought maybe you…maybe you didn't want to be with me, Daryl. I was a mess, and that's where my head went."

"Don't ever think for one second that I don't love you. That I don't want you. You and Soph are everything." He turned to her, taking both of her hands in his. "I was this piece of shit nothin' 'til you came along."

"Stop it. Don't say that," he scolded.

"It's true." He chewed his bottom lip for a moment. "I went with Merle, 'cause I just needed to clear my head. Needed to do somethin' where I felt like I was in control. Went huntin'. Went fishin'. Everything was outta control, and I shouldn't have left like I did. I don't blame ya for kickin' my ass out."

"That was the hardest thing I'd ever done," Carol murmured, wiping away a tear. "I thought it would be easier. I thought making you leave would make me feel more in control. Like I'd done something to help the situation. I just fucked it all up."

"We both did," he admitted. "I wanna come home, Carol. Things'll be better. We can get through this. I'll talk. I'll do whatever you need me to."

"It's not…I don't want you to feel like you _have_ to talk to me, Daryl," she explained. "I want you to want to talk to me." Daryl nodded. "I made you leave, because you left me. From the second we got home from the hospital, you left me. You shut down, and I thought that was it. I thought our marriage was over, because we always told each other everything. And Sophia was so confused, and she was having trouble at school because she was so upset. I thought making you leave would just…I wanted it to be my choice. I couldn't take you walking out that door and never coming back." Her lower lip trembled, and he gently cupped her face in his hands.

"I'd never leave you. God, Carol, I'm so sorry I ever made you think I would. Even for a second." Carol let out a breath she felt like she'd been holding forever, and she leaned her forehead against his. "M'sorry. I'm so sorry." He kissed her forehead and then his lips were on hers, and she was kissing him back. When she pulled back, his thumb came up to catch a falling tear from her cheek. "I did this."

"Daryl…"

"I broke your trust. I made you think I didn't want you. I'm sorry." Carol brought her hand to his cheek, and she shook her head. "I just wanted you…I wanted you to know I'm gonna keep goin' to my sessions. I just wanna feel like I'm good enough for you."

"I never thought otherwise," she sniffled. "I still don't. I do love you, Daryl. But I understand. You have to go through it. I'm happy you're going to your sessions."

"Yours work for you?"

"Yeah." She smiled a little. "I think so. But talking to you helps more." She swallowed hard. "I still don't know how we got here. I never thought…" She shook her head. "Thank you. For talking to me. It's all I needed." She took a deep breath, and she was just about to say something else when Sophia came bounding down the stairs.

"Mama, I'm ready for ice cream," she called in a sing-song voice. "Daddy, you're still here!"

"Hi, Princess," he chuckled, as Carol moved away slightly and composed herself. Sophia crawled up into her father's lap.

"Mama, can Daddy come get ice cream with us?"

"I think that's a good idea," she said with a smile. "But you have to ask daddy, ok?"

"Daddy? Will you come get ice cream with me and mommy?"

"I'd like that," he chuckled. "But I'm buyin'. Ain't lettin' my two favorite girls pay my way, am I?"

"You don't have to do that," Carol pointed out.

"I want to," he replied, giving Sophia a squeeze. "Now I just got one question." Sophia tilted her head back to look at him. "Chocolate or strawberry?" He looked at Carol and Sophia, who both grinned and at the same time spoke their choice.

"Both!"


	3. Chapter 3 - Sirens

Chapter 3: Sirens

"Sophia Anne Dixon, you are incorrigible," Carol scolded lightheartedly as she reached over to wipe the ice cream off of her daughter's nose. Sophia giggled and pointed at Daryl, who promptly stuck his nose into the top of his ice cream cone. "Oh, so _that's_ where you get it. I knew it wasn't my side." Carol winked and quickly wiped the cold treat off of Daryl's nose.

"I think Mama needs to be inducted into the ice cream nose club, huh?" Daryl asked, pushing up on Carol's hand and getting her nose cold and covered in ice cream.

"Daryl Dixon!" she screeched, getting an even louder laugh out of Sophia.

"Need some help gettin' that off?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows and leaning in with his tongue sticking out.

"Don't you dare!" She couldn't help herself, laughing as she wiped the ice cream from her face. "What am I going to do with the two of you?" Sophia slurped happily at her ice cream cone, getting chocolate and strawberry stains all over her shirt. Carol shook her head and sighed, unable to suppress the smile that had pretty much been on her face the entire ride to the ice cream stand.

It was a beautiful day. The sun was beating down on them, bathing them in warmth as a cool breeze underscored the heat. Carol had somehow scooted all the way over next to Daryl at the round table, and she found herself holding his hand, and she shivered as his thumb brushed over her knuckles and the side of her wrist. For the first time, it felt like before, when everything was good and there wasn't this tension between them, a worry that one wrong word would send the other rushing off or give them reason to doubt themselves even more.

Having Sophia there made it all the better. She was, in the minds of her parents, the perfect child. She wasn't too loud, she wasn't too quiet. She wasn't too messy, she wasn't too clean. She had her moments of tantrum, like all children, but she reserved those moments for when she was very tired or very cranky. She didn't throw herself on the floor of the department store over every little toy she wasn't allowed to have. She was a good kid, and she had made their lives complete.

"Oh no," Sophia murmured, her happy face fading to disappointment for a brief moment.

"What is it, sweetie?"

"I forgot Elsa. We should have brought her."

"We'll bring Elsa for ice cream next time, ok?" Carol promised.

"Ok. But we better not tell her about the ice cream this time, 'cause she'll be mad."

"I think ya got more ice cream on your shirt than in your mouth, Soph," Daryl teased. Sophia looked down at her top and giggled.

Sirens began to blare in the distance, and Carol looked around to see where they were coming from. Within a few moments, cars began to pull to the side of the road to make room for the parade of ambulances that made their way down Lincoln Avenue.

"Jesus," Daryl murmured, eyeing the first three ambulances before turning to look at Carol. "Wonder what happened?" Sophia made a sound of discomfort, covering her ears and squeezing her eyes shut. Carol pulled her daughter into her lap and helped her cover her ears. Sophia always hated those shrill, loud sounds, and this was so overpowering, Carol almost wished she had somebody covering her own ears.

They counted nine ambulances total, and a few police cars trailed after them. Then two fire trucks.

"Mama, let's go _home_," Sophia whined, scrunching up her face as the noises passed. Carol glanced at Daryl, who seemed to be a little on edge, and she quickly nodded.

"Ok, sweetie. We're leaving," Carol promised, reaching to grip the sleeve of Daryl's jacket. Their eyes met, and she could see he was more than concerned. He gave her a little nod and stood, reaching for Sophia. He picked her up from Carol's lap, and she buried her head against his shoulder as a few more ambulances passed by in the direction of the others.

Daryl rubbed Sophia's back soothingly as he carried her to the car. He helped her into her booster seat, and she yawned tiredly as she finished the buckling.

"Tired, Princess?"

"Mmmhmm," she said with a sleepy blink and a nod.

"Close your eyes, Soph. We'll be home soon, ok?"

"Ok, Daddy," she said with another yawn, closing her eyes and resting her head back against the seat. He closed the door, and he moved around, on instinct, to open Carol's door just as she was reaching for it.

"Oh. Thank you." She smiled, and their eyes met for a moment. Even though it wasn't entirely the most appropriate moment, he moved in for a kiss, his lips barely brushing against hers, waiting for her permission. She nodded softly against his kiss, bringing her hand up to the side of his neck, caressing him there as she kissed him back.

"You taste like chocolate. And strawberries," he murmured when he pulled back. She chuckled softly, resting her forehead against his for a moment as they leaned against the car. She sighed softly against his lips and pulled her arms around his neck, draping them over his shoulder.

"Reminds me of our first date, only we didn't have a kid in the back of the car," she remembered.

"Nah, just Merle passed out drunk."

"Oh, the memories," she laughed. "I never had so much fun being the designated driver.

"Thought you'd never wanna see me again after you had to help me drag Merle's ass to his bed."

"Nah, that just proved you were a good man who wouldn't just let his brother sleep off a drink in the back of a car. You looked out for him."

"Shit, he's all I had. 'Til you." Carol smiled a little and leaned in to kiss him.

"I missed you."

"Me too," he said with a nod.

"Take us home?" she asked.

"Sure," he said with a little nod.

"You can stay awhile. If you want. If you don't have other plans." He caught the meaning behind her words, and he shook his head.

"Only plans I got involve my two favorite girls," he pointed out. "Nowhere else I wanna be." She smiled, blinking back tears, and he pulled her close, kissing her before pulling back a little and just holding her. Her hands moved up his arms, and she let out a slow breath.

"Maybe after Sophia goes to bed, we can talk? I have wine. And there might be cookies." Daryl chuckled at that.

"Just remember how last night ended up when we were s'posed to be talkin'," he pointed out.

"How could I forget that?" she teased, pulling back to stroke his cheek with her fingertips. "I'm not saying that's where it's going tonight, but I wouldn't be totally against it. It was nice. It was good."

"Yeah," he murmured. "It was." The heat behind his gaze made her heart feel like it was doing gymnastics in her chest, so she shimmied out from between him and the car and got in. He shut the door for her and headed around to get in the driver's seat.

Sophia was out like a light. She was always a quick one to get to sleep, even as a baby, except when she was gassy or teething. Carol rolled the window down and leaned her head against the seat rest as Daryl headed off toward home.

As he pulled out on the highway, there was a traffic snarl, and he noticed Carol tense in the seat, her back straightening as they pulled up behind a small sports car. The man behind it was gesturing emphatically and talking on his cell phone, clearly having to be in another place at that moment and not there because of whatever had happened up ahead.

"Do you think this has something to do with all those ambulances? Maybe a pileup?" Carol wondered, pulling herself up a little in her seat to try to get a peek. She saw nothing but a line of cars and some flashing lights way up in the distance.

"Dunno. Let's take another way home. Don't need to be sittin' here bakin' with Soph in the car." He put the car in reverse, narrowly missing backing into a car that recklessly swerved into their lane and screeched to a halt behind him. The guy was on his cell phone, which really pissed Daryl off.

"Hey, asshole, learn how to drive!" the man yelled from the car, as Daryl shoved his hand out the window and promptly flipped him the bird. Carol hunched down in the seat, covering her face with her hands. Her husband was anything but subtle.

"Hey, asshole, get off your phone before ya kill somebody!" he hollered, turning the car and heading off in the other direction. He took a heavy breath and gripped the steering wheel, trying to control his speed when he noticed Carol sitting very still across the car. "Shit. Carol. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinkin'." She shook her head, and her hand was white-knuckling the console.

"It's ok," she breathed.

"No, it ain't." He slowed the car to a stop at the side of the road, and he put his hand over hers. "I shoulda stayed away from the highway." She shook her head.

"We can't avoid these things, Daryl," she said quietly. "I'm not going to break. I just…I need a second to catch my breath, ok?" He nodded, eyeing her worriedly as she took a few deep breaths, closing her eyes, slowly relaxing her grip on the console and then her body against the seat. "I'm ok. Let's go. Let's just go.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I'm good." He nodded, reaching over to put his hand over hers. "It's ok. We're ok."

"Alright," he said quietly, checking over his shoulder before pulling back out on the road. They drove in silence for a while, the air whipping through the car. He eyed her briefly, watching the way the tension melted from her face as she relaxed and let the wind flow over her. He reached for her hand once more, and she curled her fingers around his.

As they pulled onto another road, a line of military vehicles was heading down toward the highway.

"What the hell?" he muttered. Carol's eyes fluttered open, and she blinked tiredly, watching in surprise as at least a couple dozen trucks carrying a handful of armed soldiers each flew by.

"Daryl?" she asked. "What…"

"I dunno. Let's just get goin'. Turn the radio on. See if they have any reports." He picked up the speed a little bit, and Carol checked over her shoulder to see that Sophia was still sleeping peacefully in the back. She reached for the radio and turned it on, keeping it low enough that it wouldn't wake Sophia. A female reporter was speaking in hurried phrases broken by static that had Carol's nerves standing on edge.

_"Military curfew…enforced…7pm. Atlanta Police Department issued statement urging citizens…obey curfew…inside…city is on full alert. Governor has issued a statewide emergency…military intervention. Law enforcement and military will be patrolling the streets at 7pm to ensure residential safety. Mandatory quarantine for each household will be in effect until further notice. At 7pm, anyone still on the street will be taken into custody. "_

"Oh my God," Carol murmured, covering her mouth with her hand. "Daryl…what's happening?"

"I dunno," he murmured, hands white knuckling the steering wheel. "How much food you got at the house?"

"I just…I just got groceries Tuesday," Carol stammered.

"Let's stop. Get what we can at the store. You stay with Soph." The grocery store down the street a ways had a full parking lot, and Daryl managed to get in just as a whole line of cars attempted to do the same. Carol took a couple of quick breaths, gripping Daryl's hand as he pulled the car into a space that wasn't exactly a parking space.

"Daryl, be careful."

"S'alright. Just stay with Soph." She nodded and watched as he got out of the car, locking the door behind him. Carol's heart pounded in her chest, and she kept her eyes on the door of the market, breathing quick, shallow breaths that made her feel dizzy and weak. A fine sheen of sweat broke out over her skin, and she started the car, rolling the windows up and turning on the air conditioner. She peeked over her shoulder to check on Sophia now and again, and her heart continued jack hammering against her ribs as she waited for Daryl.

After what felt like an hour, he came out of the store pushing a cart filled with bags. She got out of the car to help him load them.

"Jesus Christ, ain't never seen nothin' like it," he muttered. "People fightin' over bread and meat." He handed her a couple of bags, and they quickly piled everything into the trunk.

It took fifteen minutes just to get out of the parking lot, and Carol could tell Daryl was getting more and more anxious with each passing minute. She didn't dare turn the radio on again, because she was terrified of what she might hear. She'd never seen anything like she'd seen today, even out on the highway, where traffic was usually a bitch near Atlanta. It had never been anything close to like it was today, and the idea of it made her stomach ache.

They finally made it home by six-thirty, and Daryl carried Sophia into the house, laying her out on the couch with Elsa so he and Carol could bring in the groceries. He'd gotten all canned foods and stuff that wouldn't spoil without refrigeration, which made Carol worry, because the idea of the power going meant that they could be thrown into complete chaos, especially if it was for an extended period of time.

Once everything was put away, Daryl pulled the car into the garage, leaving his truck out front, and when he finally came back in the house, he found Carol scrubbing the kitchen counter. She cleaned when she was anxious, and at the pace she was going, she was going to wear herself out.

"Hey," he murmured, coming up behind her, pressing his hand over hers to still her motions.

"I'm terrified to turn on the TV. Daryl, something's very wrong here."

"Let's turn the TV on for just a few minutes. We gotta know what's goin' on, you know?"

"I'm not sure I want to know," she confessed. She turned against the counter, and he tugged at her hips, pulling her close.

"Whatever happens, I'm here, alright? Ain't gonna leave you and Soph."

"I know," she said with a sad smile. "Thank you for being here." She pulled her arms around him, hugging him close. Finally, she pulled back, and Daryl kissed her cheek.

"Ain't no place else I wanna be."


	4. Chapter 4 - Stay the Night

Chapter 4 – Stay the Night

_Seven Years Ago_

_"You mean to tell me you're twenty-five years old and you're a goddamned virgin?" Merle laughed as he leaned over the pool table and expertly finished the game, beating Daryl by a landslide. "Ain't I taught you nothin', baby brother?"_

_"Yeah, say it a little fuckin' louder, why don't ya?" Daryl grumbled, putting his pool cue aside and grabbing his beer off the corner of the wobbling table. He swigged it down. It was warm now, tasted like how he expected an old, flat tire might taste, but he drank it anyway, because, why the hell shouldn't he?_

_"What's the matter, Darylena? Afraid a woman's got teeth down there? Might bite your dick off or what?"_

_"Fuck off."_

_"Then get with the times, little brother. You don't know what you're missin'. Plenty of chicks out there who'd do anything to spend a night in the sack with a young stud. Even one who don't know what the hell he's doin'."_

_"Would ya stop tellin' me what to do with my dick?" Daryl snorted. "Ain't your business."_

_"But it is. If word gets out that Merle Dixon's brother is still wet behind the ears but nowhere else, then they're gonna start wonderin' what the hell went wrong."_

_"Just 'cause you fuck any woman that looks at ya don't mean that's what I want."_

_"Why don't ya want it? Maybe your door swings the other way?" Daryl eyed him. He was used to those jabs by his brother. He hated how much of a damned bigot his brother could be when he was drunk, and he hated how every time Daryl didn't bring a woman home, Merle was so astounded that he assumed he was gay. _

_"Ain't that," Daryl muttered. _

_"You like women though, right?"_

_"Sure I do. There were some I wanted to…just didn't."_

_"You got no game, baby brother," Merle snorted, swigging down the last of his own beer. "I'll tell you what, I'm gonna go order us another beer. You get the table ready for the next game." Daryl gave his brother an exasperated look. "You ain't callin' it a night already, are ya?"_

_"Guess not," Daryl muttered, despite the fact that all he wanted to do was go home, work on his bike and forget about the fact that the woman at the table at the end of the hall had been looking his way on more than one occasion. She was like no other woman he'd ever seen. Her short, auburn hair framed her face in a way that brought out the sparkle of her blue eyes. Even through the stale smoke lingering in the bar, he could see the little smile on her face when he'd leaned over, trying to look somewhat cool when he went to take a shot, only to complete scratch the table to hell with his pool cue. She'd bit her lip and giggled about something with her friends. And goddammit it was the cutest giggle he'd ever heard._

_Yeah, she was smiling at him. Yeah, she was maybe even flirting when he walked by and she'd commented on how she liked his boots, and his dick had responded like she'd stuck her hand down his pants or something. He was embarrassed by himself. She was pretty, she was maybe flirting, but when it came down to it, a pretty girl like that would never go for somebody like him. Twenty-five, working a shit job mopping floors at a gas station and working on motorcycles in his spare time? He wasn't exactly the kind of man every woman dreamed of._

_Merle returned with a shit-eating grin on his face and handed his brother an ice cold brew. _

_"What you smilin' at?" Merle muttered._

_"You owe me one, baby brother." He nodded toward that pretty girl was with, and he felt his stomach drop. The waitress was walking right over to her with a cold beer and nodding straight at Daryl. The pretty girl accepted the beer and looked toward Daryl, mouthing a thank you him. At that moment, Merle slapped Daryl on the back, sending him stumbling forward just in time for that same pretty girl to look up at assume he was heading over to talk to her._

_"God damn it, Merle, why the hell'd you do that?" Daryl hissed._

_"'Cause you need to get your dick wet, that's why," Merle muttered._

_"You're a fuckin' pig, you know that?" Daryl asked._

_"Well then just go over and say hi if you're too afraid to fuck her," Merle teased. "Bring her some flowers and some candies and tell her that her eyes sparkle in the moonlight. Chicks eat that shit up like chocolate, you know?"_

_"There's somethin' wrong with you," Daryl smirked, shaking his head at him._

_"You go on. I'm gonna sit here and drink this beer and prepare to kick your ass all over again. You used to be good at this game. What happened?" Daryl eyed the pretty girl who was looking at him a bit apprehensively, wondering if he was going to come over. Did she want him to come over? Maybe it was all a huge mistake. _

_"Yeah, you do that," Daryl muttered, finally taking a deep breath as he took that first step forward and moved toward her table. She stepped forward too, moving away from her group, meeting him somewhere near the middle._

_"Thanks for the beer," she said quietly. _

_"Yeah, that wasn't me. I mean, it was. I mean, my brother sent it for me." There was definitely a reason he was still a virgin. Because of moments like this. She smiled a little, taking a sip of her beer, her gaze moving over his body, making his skin feel like fire._

_"I'm Carol."_

_"Daryl," he murmured._

_"Nice to meet you, Daryl. You wanna join me for a game of pool?"_

_"What about your friends over there?" he asked, nodding toward the group of girls who were drunkenly stumbling over one another, cackling as each one tried and failed to even make contact with the ball. _

_"I think they're a lost cause. I don't really know them that well anyway," she admitted. "Just some girls from work. What do you say?"_

_"Well, my brother's already kicked my ass for the night, so I guess it can't get more embarrassing than that."_

_"Is that some kind of joke about my being a girl and you getting beat by me?" she teased. Daryl nearly choked. _

_"Shit, I didn't mean…m'sorry."_

_"Relax," she murmured, leaning into him, her hand brushing over his arm. "I'm just kidding. Come on. It'll be fun." He just nodded and followed her over to an empty table, glancing briefly over his shoulder once to see Merle grinning like an idiot as he leaned against the wall and took another long swig of his beer._

"Daddy, you're staying?" Sophia asked with wide eyes, as Daryl helped Carol clear the dinner table.

"I'm stayin' tonight, Princess," he promised her. "You want me to tuck you in?"

"Can you and mommy both tuck me in? Like you used to?" Sophia asked, barely able to contain her excitement that her father was going to sleep under the same roof with her again.

"Go on up and brush your teeth, Soph," Carol encouraged. "I'll be up to start your bath in a little while, ok?"

"Ok!" she exclaimed.

"Daddy and I will be up shortly. Remember to set you timer and brush until it dings, ok?"

"I will," she promised, bounding out of the kitchen quickly. Carol tensed a little as Daryl moved to turn on the small TV on the counter. All there was for a few moments was an emergency broadcast screen with a shrill screeching noise, and then the local news reporter's face was on the screen.

"_Dozens of citizens have been picked up off the streets and escorted to makeshift quarantine centers all over the state. Reports out of Chicago, Washington D.C. and even Los Angeles are reporting military curfews and evacuations in progress as this broadcast airs. We are still urging everyone to stay inside. In the event of illness, please call the number posted at the bottom of the screen for medical assistance and evacuation of the ill party." _

"Turn it off," Carol muttered, reaching over and flipping the television off herself. Daryl eyed her, and he stood their anxiously. "We'll put Sophia to bed and watch more later."

"Alright," he said quietly. He moved to peek out the side window that gave him a good look at the street, and a military vehicle passed by. Never in his life had he felt more claustrophobic than this. He hated the feeling of being forced into one place and made to stay there. At least he had his family, but he still couldn't help feeling like a rat in a cage.

"It'll blow over," she said quietly, threading a towel between her fingers as her stomach coiled into knots. "Right?"

"It's got to, right? Nothin' like this is permanent. Just gotta wait it out. Must be some kinda super flu or somethin'."

"It's just…they aren't giving details. They're quarantining the sick, they're keeping people home. I don't understand it."

"We just gotta wait, I guess," he said quietly. "Gotta keep watchin' the news."

"I don't want to see anymore. Not right now. I just want to go hug my baby and watch her sleep." A little smile pulled at Daryl's lips.

"Why don't ya go help Soph with her bath, and I'll finish cleanin' in here? Then we can put her to bed and sit down and watch the news? Maybe by then, they'll say it's all over and it was just a precaution."

"Maybe," she said quietly, chewing her lip. "Ok. I'll go up to Sophia. You'll come up in a few?"

"I'll be there. Just gotta put the rest of the plates in the dishwasher."

"The soap's in the…"

"In the cabinet under the sink. I remember," he chuckled. Carol frowned a little and nodded.

"Sorry, I know you know. It's just…"

"Hey, don't worry 'bout it. It's been a while, but we'll figure it out." He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Mama!" Sophia called from upstairs. "I'm done brushing!" Carol grinned a little.

"Better not keep Princess Sophia waitin'," he said with a stern look before his mouth spread into a grin. "Meet ya up there in a few."

"Ok," she chuckled. "Thank you for staying."

"Hey, anytime," he murmured. He watched her walk out of the room and took a deep breath. He hoped he'd never have to say goodbye to her again. Every time he left her and Sophia, it felt like a piece of his heart got chipped away. He was ready to put their family back together, and he hoped she was too, and after all this quarantine fuss was over and life returned to normal, he hoped that they could do just that. All he cared about was his family, and he'd do anything to keep them together.


	5. Chapter 5 - Give It All You Got

Chapter 5 – Give It All You Got

_Seven Years Ago_

_A loud, forced giggle echoed through the bar as one of Carol's drunken colleagues leaned against the jukebox, while Merle pressed into her, leaning toward her, his hand on the wall as he whispered things against her ear. He wasn't a wine and roses kind of guy, so Daryl figured he was probably describing in excruciating detail all the twisted things he wanted to do to her if she let him take her home. Whatever the hell he was saying, she liked it._

_"Your brother seems to be enjoying himself over there," Carol smirked, leaning against the pool table as Daryl lined up his shot. He was a little unsteady, a little unfocused, partly from the beer, partly because of the distracting view of the tops of her breasts and her lacy white bra that was revealed when she leaned over the table. Carol followed his gaze, and he wondered if she might blush or shy away, straighten herself up so she wasn't so exposed. But she just looked back at him with a smirk. "Guess he's not the only one."_

_"Sorry," he muttered, flinching and taking his shot. It went right in the corner pocket, and Carol sucked her teeth. _

_"Shit," she laughed. "I think we have a tie." Daryl smirked a little, watching the way her breasts swayed a little, jumping slightly when she giggled. He cleared his throat when he felt his dick start to get hard for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. He couldn't get over it. Her voice was soft and sweet, and her laugh was like a song. Maybe it was the beer, maybe it was the fact that all he could think about was what it might feel like to press his mouth against her neck and taste her skin, trace his tongue over each little freckle on her chest. He just couldn't stop staring at her. _

_"Hey, baby brother!" Merle hollered, crossing the bar with the laughing tits on legs, as he would call her one day in a fuzzy flashback of that night, of which he wouldn't remember much. "This here is…what'd you say your name is again, honey?"_

_"Kimmie," she giggled. _

_"This here's Kimmie. Think I'm gonna take her on home."_

_"You ain't fit to be drivin', Merle," Daryl warned._

_"We ain't gonna be leavin' just yet, if ya get my meanin'. Kimmie here's got a big 'ole Caddy. Real roomy backseat, tinted windows. Yeah." He chuckled, and Kimmy giggled, and Daryl just wished he was somewhere else. "Figure we'll hang out 'til we got ourselves sorted out, then I'll escort milady back home. You mind takin' the car on back?" The car was a piece of shit blue Chevette that Merle had bought for two hundred bucks off somebody who needed some quick money for drugs or a prostitute. Daryl couldn't remember which._

_"Yeah, I got it," Daryl muttered. "Just don't end up back in the drunk tank. I ain't bailin' your sorry ass out again. Gotta pay rent this month."_

_"My baby bro, always lookin' out for me," Merle snorted, sloppily draping his arm over Kimmie's shoulder. "C'mon, sugar tits." She giggled again, and Daryl felt his face flush red when he turned to look at her. _

_"Sorry 'bout him."_

_"Why are you apologizing? He's not you," she said with a shrug. _

_"You want another drink?" he asked, putting his pool cue down. She cocked her head to the side a moment, narrowing her eyes, studying his face. She made a soft humming noise and shook her head._

_"Hmm, no. I'm good," she said with a smile. Daryl felt the heat rush from his face straight to his groin when she put her own cue down and moved closer to him, her hand moving out to brush against his forearm. "I'm a little warm. I could use some fresh air."_

_"Wanna go for a walk?" he offered. _

_"Yeah. I'd like that," she said with a smile. So, they paid their respective tabs and headed out the side door, where there were a few couples making out, another few couples arguing and one poor son of a bitch crying on the ground, slurring his words and sobbing about how his girl never loved him anyhow. Daryl took a chance and reached for her hand, terrified of how she might react but pleasantly surprised when her fingers curled around his, and she gave him a little shoulder nudge as they walked along together._

_They made their way down the road a way, where it was quiet, and well-lit from the street-lights. He noticed she wasn't wearing a jacket, and it was significantly cooler outside since the sun had set. He cleared his throat and fidgeted nervously._

_"You cold?" he asked._

_"No," she said with a smile. "I love evenings like this. It feels good." His gaze was drawn to her neck and when she leaned her head back, looking up at the sparkling stars. His tongue darted out to wet his lips, and he wondered what it might feel like to kiss her._

_He'd kissed women before. He'd kissed plenty of them. But sex? He wanted it. He wanted _her_. At the same time, he'd never let anybody get that close before. What if he sucked at it? What if she saw him naked and laughed? What if he wasn't as big as her past lovers? What if he was just one embarrassing, sad, fumbling mess that came in his pants before she even touched him? _

_"Daryl?" she asked, letting go of his hand. He startled and glanced at her._

_"Yeah?"_

_"I had a good time tonight. Maybe we should do it again sometime."_

_"Really?" He desperately tried not to sound so damned…desperate, but the way her lips curved into a soft smile relaxed him a little. "Like a date?"_

_"Kind of feels like a date tonight, doesn't it?" she asked, raising her eyebrows, stepping closer to him. He thought he might die in that moment, as she wet her lips and let out a slow breath. All he could hear in his head was Merle taunting him about his virginity, telling him to just kiss her already, because clearly she wanted him to. But what if he was wrong? Fuck, what if he didn't know anything about women, and he never had sex and died alone?_

_He made a move to step toward her, and his hand shot out unexpectedly and brushed over her hip. She raised an eyebrow, and even under the moonlight, she could see his face was flushed. His hand shook as he moved his hand up her side, caressing her just up to the side of her breast, where he stopped and suddenly moved his hand away. _

_"Daryl? You ok?"_

_"Mmhmm. M'good." Carol bit her lip for a moment, worrying it between her teeth. Suddenly, his hands were sweating, and he felt like he might throw up, and he stepped away from her, turning and taking a couple of deep breaths. _

_"Hey." He turned toward her._

_"M'sorry. Just…don't do this much."_

_"It's ok. Neither do I," she said with a smile. "Come on. Walk me back?" He nodded, and she reached out for his hand, and he took it, and god, her hand was about as sweaty as his was. It made him feel a little better. She leaned in quickly then, pressing her lips to the corner of his mouth, before he turned his head and pressed his mouth against hers. She gasped softly at the sensation, and he started to pull back, but she leaned in, pressing her mouth against his. She could feel her pulse in her throat, and his hands moved up her neck, his thumb grazing against her jaw as his tongue slid against her lips. _

_He heard a soft whimper escape the back of her throat, and he hoped that was a good sign, but his hands were so damned shaky, and he wondered if she noticed. He decided, when he heard her moan softly against his mouth, that he was just going to stop thinking and go with it. But, it was over far sooner than he hoped for._

_The sound of a car honking nearby shook them both, and they pulled apart, staring at one another for the briefest moment before the honking car nearly hit them both. It was Kimmie. She slammed on the brakes, sobbing as she rolled the window down._

_"Kimmie? What happened?!" Carol asked, rushing to the car. _

_"That jerk just puked all over the inside of my daddy's car, that's what! Gross!" She huffed and revved the engine._

_"Where's Merle?" Daryl asked, staring down the road toward the bar._

_"I don't know. I kicked his sorry ass out. Good riddance, if you ask me!" With that, she sped off, and Daryl stared at Carol for a moment._

_"Shit, I gotta go find him. He gets arrested again, they ain't gonna be willin' to let him out as easy this time."_

_"I'll help you," she offered._

_"Ya don't have to."_

_"I know. I want to." Despite the fact that his heart was hammering in his chest, he felt happy. She wanted to stay with him a little longer. She wanted to help him. Shit, he wasn't used to women sticking around when he'd clearly proven himself to be a clumsy, inexperienced mess. _

_He spotted something out of the corner of his eye as they started back toward the bar. A bush along the side of the road was peppered with the little white flowers. He reached over and popped one off the bush, holding it out to her like a gift, a souviner of their first kind-of date. He hoped it wouldn't be the last. She smiled, taking the flower into her hand, delicately running her fingers over the petals._

_"A Cherokee Rose?" she asked softly. He nodded, and she slipped her hand into his again as they began walking back to the bar together. "Do you know the story? The Trail of Tears?" He knew it, but he just shook his head a little. He'd heard his mama tell it to him a hundred times as a boy, but he just wanted to hear her talk, and she did, and the more she talked, the more he relaxed and hoped that this wouldn't be the last time he walked this road with her._

Carol sat anxiously on the couch staring at the blank television screen. She was exhausted, and her stomach was all coiled up into knots. She wished she could just go to sleep and wake up tomorrow and it all would have been a dream, but she knew that wasn't realistic.

"Found this in the fridge. Hope ya don't mind," Daryl spoke suddenly, walking into the room with a bottle of wine and two glasses. "Figure it might be easier to watch if we ain't so damned sober."

"I don't mind," she said tiredly, reaching for a glass. He popped the cork and poured her half a glass and then one for himself.

"Soph must've been tired," he murmured, taking a seat next to her on the couch before bringing the glass to his lips and taking a small sip. Wine had never been his thing, but she loved it, and it was the only alcohol she had in the house right now.

"She'll be up early," Carol pointed out. Daryl reached for the remote. "Wait." She took a deep breath and took a gulp of wine. "I'm sorry. I just…"

"I get it," he said quietly. "It's a lot at once." She nodded. In the last two years, both of her parents had passed away, within six months of each other, and then there was the accident and they lost Kenzie. Carol had had enough loss for a lifetime, and it was absolutely understandable that she'd be a bit anxious.

"I keep waiting for them to come on the air and tell us it's one big April Fool's Joke, even though April Fool's was months ago."

"Let's just watch it and see what they're sayin'. They gotta have something." Carol took a shaky breath and nodded.

"Ok." She took another sip of wine. "Ok. Turn it on." Daryl turned the TV on and put the remote down on the coffee table. He relaxed against the couch, one hand wrapped around his wine glass, his other arm draped over her shoulders.

_"These are the first images out of Atlanta. Grady Memorial Hospital has suffered substantial losses. The military has ordered evacuation and transport of the bodies to make room for more patients, and the dead have been laid out on the pavement, shrouded with sheets as loved ones are kept back. Still no work on how this virus is transmitted. Medical personnel and uniformed officers have declined to comment on the nature of the virus."_

"Jesus Christ," Daryl muttered as the screen suddenly went from showing the dead lined up against the asphalt to a blank screen. A loud, emergency test tone came through the speakers. "Did you see that?" Just as the screen had begun to fade out, one of the bodies had twitched and began to sit up.

"Oh God," Carol choked out, covering her hand with her mouth. "Oh my God. They don't even…they're just throwing people out there. He wasn't dead. He wasn't…" She shook her head. "What the hell is going on?" She got up off the couch and started toward the TV, just the black screen switched to a shot of a reporter in the station.

"We are getting word now…one of the victims was not in fact dead." The reporter looked off screen, furrowing his brows as he took cues from someone off camera. "What? You're saying what? I'd like to apologize to our television audience. We're getting reports of the dead returning to life and attacking the living. This is…everything is just speculation at this point. We're being told to go off the air until…" And then the screen went black, and the emergency broadcast tone blared through the speakers.

"What the fuck?" Daryl muttered.

"Oh God," Carol panted, her chest heaving as she struggled to pull in full breaths.

"They're panicking. Let's switch stations, and…"

"Daryl, I want to get out of here," she murmured. "We have to get out of here."

"And go where?"

"I don't know. I just…I want to get as far away from Atlanta as we can. Sophia shouldn't be here. I need to keep her safe."

"Hey, look at me." He got up off the couch, moving to put his hands on her shoulders. "Hey. S'alright. I'm here. I ain't lettin' nothin' happen to you. I'd die 'for I let anything happen to ya. You hear me?" She nodded, and she let him pull her into a hug. When he felt her relax against him, he pulled back just slightly and kissed her. It was a brief kiss, but it was enough to bring reel her back in from her anxiety.

Suddenly, the emergency broadcast tone stopped, and the station was blank. Daryl moved to switch the station, but every station had gone out.

"What's happening?" she asked, moving to peek out the windows as military vehicles continued patrolling. Everything was spinning out of control.

"Get upstairs and pack a bag for you and one for Soph," Daryl suggested, turning off the television. "In the mornin', if things ain't changed, we'll find a way to get the hell outta here, alright?" Carol was frozen at the window, and Daryl moved to stand next to her. "You hear what I said?"

"What is that?" Carol asked softly, peering out as a police car stopped at the house across the street, shining it's spotlight on a figure coming around the side of the house.

"Looks like Mrs. Murphy. Maybe she's sick. Maybe they're takin' her to quarantine?" Daryl suggested. And it was that moment that Mrs. Murphy lunged at one of the officers, and gunshots rang out. She was pelted with at least four shots, and she just kept coming.

"Oh God!" Carol cried out, unable to look away as Mrs. Murphy advanced on one officer, biting his arm, tearing a big chunk out of it. The officer screamed, and three others rushed at her, shooting at her until one bullet finally hit her between the eyes, and she fell against the ground, dead. "Oh God! Oh my God!" Carol began to lose control of her breath again, and Daryl quickly pulled the curtains down. His heart hammered against his chest, and he tried not to let his own fears freeze him up. He took a deep, shaky breath and kissed the top of her head.

"We're gettin' the hell outta here."


	6. Chapter 6 - Pictures on the Wall

Chapter 6 – Pictures on the Wall

_Seven Years Ago_

_"M'sorry," Daryl muttered as he slammed the car door and wiped his hands on his pant legs. Carol had helped him get Merle's drunk ass into the back of the Chevette. Merle's large form was cramped in the backseat, knees pressed against the back of the driver's seat, head leaning against the window as a little drool escaped the corner of his mouth. He was passed out drunk, and Daryl was pretty sure he'd be asleep until about three o'clock tomorrow afternoon. _

_"Why are you apologizing?" Carol asked with a little laugh as she backed up against the car, standing next to him and nudging his shoulder._

_"Dunno. Just spend a lot of time apologizing for Merle," he said with a shrug._

_"Well, you don't have to."_

_"You got a car 'round here? I'll walk you over."_

_"No, I didn't drive here. I rode with my co-workers, but I'm pretty sure the car we came in is gone." She looked at him hopefully, and he cleared his throat._

_"Well, I could give ya a ride home if ya want. Just gotta drop Merle off first."_

_"That'd be nice. Thanks," she said with a smile. He fidgeted nervously, shoving his hands in his pockets before he made a move around the car to open the passenger door. Carol quickly made her way over and brushed her lips against his cheek as she ducked into the car. His skin was on fire, and as he shut the door, she reached out the rolled down window and grabbed hold of the front of his shirt, tugging him down. His lips were on hers in a heartbeat, and the kiss lingered until Merle snorted from the back seat, murmuring something unintelligible before he was silent again._

_Daryl pulled back, his face burning hot as she stared up at him with those pretty blue eyes. He shifted awkwardly and cleared his throat before moving around the car and getting behind the wheel. He took off toward the trailer, a little embarrassed for her to see the place he shared with his brother. It wasn't much, but it's all they had. Little did Merle know, Daryl had been saving up to get a place of his own. He hated the idea of the conversation they'd inevitably have, when Merle would accuse him of being too good for his own flesh and blood, but he couldn't stay in that piece of shit trailer much longer._

_They were there within five minutes, and Daryl took a deep breath, his hands clenching the wheel._

_"This is it?" Carol asked, glancing around._

_"It's kind of a dump," he admitted._

_"I've seen worse," she pointed out. "I don't care about that, Daryl." She gave him a little smile, and fuck, he was sure his heart was doing cartwheels in his chest._

_"I gotta get him inside."_

_"I'll help you," she offered._

_"Nah, I can do it."_

_"Come on. It'll be a lot faster if you just let me help." Daryl sighed and finally nodded._

_"Alright," he muttered. "He's a dick when he's drunk, just warnin' ya. He's a dick when he's sober, too." Carol chuckled at that, and they got out of the car. "C'mon, Merle, get your ugly ass out here," Daryl urged, kicking the side of his brother's booted foot. "C'mon. Wake up, now." Merle mumbled something in his sleep, and Daryl tugged on his arm. "Christ, you weight a goddamned ton. You eat bricks for breakfast or somethin'?" He heard Carol snort behind him. He managed to get Merle halfway out of the car, and Carol came around, grabbing Merle's other arm and tugging. Once they got him somewhat on his feet, Carol draped one of Merle's arms over her shoulder, holding onto him, as Daryl held him up on the other side._

_"You ok?" he asked._

_"Yeah, let's get him inside," Carol said with a strained nod. They helped Merle up the sidewalk and up the steps to the trailer door, and in his half-asleep state, he wrapped his arm around Carol's waist, copping a feel. Carol snorted again, and Daryl looked over to see Merle groping her. _

_"Aw, fuck, Merle," he grumbled. "M'sorry about him."_

_"It's ok. Really. It's been a while since anybody's grabbed my boob." Daryl nearly choked at that, and Carol laughed that beautiful, musical laugh. _

_Daryl turned the key in the lock, and the smell of old beer and Merle's cheap cologne wafted out the door. They struggled to get him through, and Daryl found the light switch. _

_"We're home, Merle. You're sleepin' on the couch." Together, they ease Merle down onto the couch, where he instinctively pulled a pillow to his chest and curled up with it._

_"He's kind of sweet when he's sleeping," Carol mused with a grin. Daryl smirked and shook his head. "C'mon. I'll drive you home." _

_"I'm not really in any hurry," she said with a shrug. "I live alone. It's kind of boring, you know?"_

_"Wish I knew what that was like," Daryl chuckled. "Hope I do sometime soon, y'know?" Carol gave him an understanding nod and they headed out the door. _

_"Daryl?" she asked quietly as they walked to the car._

_"Hmm?"_

_"I make you nervous, don't I?"_

_"What?" he choked out._

_"You look like you're going to pass out."_

_"I ain't nervous. I'm just…I dunno." He stuffed his hands in his pockets, and he leaned up against the car. He was a man of few words, clearly, but she didn't seem to mind. She moved in close to him, pressing herself against him and gently running a finger down his cheek and along his jaw. "Ain't never met nobody like you." She made a soft humming noise before she leaned in, pressing a kiss to his jaw before she moved lower, nipping at his neck. The sound that escaped his throat was somewhere between a moan and a whimper, and Carol could feel the evidence of his excitement against her thigh._

_"That makes two of us," she whispered against his mouth, sliding her hand up his abdomen to rest against his chest. "You're not like your brother. I saw how he was with Kimmie. You aren't like that."_

_"I ain't gay," he pointed out quickly, flatly. His only experience with people saying he wasn't like other guys was with Merle, who always teased him about his sexuality. Ever since he could remember, Merle would call him Darylena and suggest things that simply weren't true. _

_A grin spread over Carol's face, and a giggle burst from her lips. "What's so funny?"_

_"Well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see you aren't gay," she pointed out, her gaze dragging from his eyes down to his lips and then further down, where his dick was straining against his pants. Daryl's mouth was suddenly dry, and he licked his lips, and he saw her gaze flicker to his mouth again. "I never do this. I don't. The last man I kissed, well, we dated for six months. And that was a year ago." He felt his heart slam against his ribs now. Was she hinting that it had been a year since she'd had sex? His dick certainly wanted to know, and he thought that maybe it was a good thing for him, because his absolute lack of experience wouldn't be such a downer for her. Sex was sex, right? "He got a little possessive. A little controlling, so I broke it off. Best thing I ever did, I have to say." She smiled a little._

_"Alright," he said nervously. _

_"I'm just saying…I don't go into things lightly. Casual sex can be a turn on, but no matter how hard you try not to get attached, somebody gets hurt. You know?"_

_"Yeah," he muttered. He really had no clue. His palms were sweating again. He was pretty sure this was about to be the greatest night of his life, so why was he so damned terrified? _

_"I'm not propositioning you. I'm just telling you. I don't go to bars to meet guys. I just happened to go to a bar, and I met a guy, and I kind of like this guy a little." She grinned at him, and his face felt like it was on fire. "So I hope you don't think I'm the kind of girl like…well, like Merle would go home with. Like Kimmie."_

_"No. I…uh…no. Shit. I wasn't…" He moved away from her and to the other side of the car. "I wouldn't…"_

_"Daryl?" she asked._

_"What?"_

_"Just relax. Take me home. We'll just take it from there, ok?" All he could do was nod, and then they were off, heading toward Carol's home, all the while Daryl's brain and his dick were having very different feelings about where this night was going. His brain was screaming at him that this was a terrible idea and that whatever happened tonight would go down in history as one of the clumsiest, most awkward potential sexual encounters ever, but his dick didn't care. His dick wanted sex. Even thirty seconds of sex, if that was all he had in him. _

Carol had been frantically packing necessities for herself and for Sophia, while Daryl had worked at getting all of the groceries they could manage to carry all boxed up and ready to carry out to the truck. He wasn't chancing it yet, what with all of the military and police presence. Given the way they'd put down Mrs. Murphy the way they had, he wasn't exactly willing to make an appearance outside and risk the same fate for himself or for his family.

Now the upstairs was quiet. He couldn't hear her rummaging through drawers anymore. When he put the last can of S'getti Rings in the box, he headed up the stairs to see what was keeping Carol. He found her sitting on their bed with all of the picture frames from the hallway and their room scattered around her. They were empty, and she was flipping through them one by one.

"Hey," he said quietly. "Everything ok?"

"I couldn't leave these," she said quietly. "It sounds stupid, I know, but these are our memories. This is our life." Daryl slowly sat down next to her, and she handed the stack of photos to him. He flipped through them. A picture of them at a street fair. He'd spent fifty bucks trying to win her a comically oversized stuffed animal. The next photo was of the night he proposed to her. In the photo, they were both leaning up against the truck. Merle had been the one to snap the shot before they'd taken off, ultimately leading to the proposal. It hadn't been fancy. He'd taken her for a spin in his new truck, and when he'd pulled over on the side of an old country road and pulled out that ring, she'd said yes, and they'd been so overcome with every single feeling they felt for one another that they'd conceived Sophia that night. It had been a true whirlwind romance, but it had been right.

The next photo was of Carol with her shirt lifted above her stomach to proudly display the fact that Sophia Dixon was on her way. It had been the day they'd found out that they were having a daughter, and the photo was cliché, her belly wrapped in a pink ribbon. It might have been silly, but it had been perfect for them, perfect for that day.

The following photos were from their wedding, from Sophia's first days, ultrasound pictures of baby Kenzie, and even the card the doctor had put tiny footprints on for a keepsake. They were framed next to Sophia's footprints, which seemed four times Kenzie's size. It still broke Carol's heart to look at those.

"We ain't leavin' for good," Daryl said quietly. "We'll just go 'til this all blows over."

"What if it doesn't? I can't leave these. I can't. I don't want to ever forget," she murmured.

"You won't. We won't. Hey." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "C'mere." She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder, and he stroked up and down her arm for a moment. She sniffled and shook her head.

"This is just one long nightmare, isn't it? This can't be real."

"We'll get through it. We will. Just gotta keep our heads above water." Carol nodded a little, and she sniffled, taking the photos back and stuffing them in a backpack. "Got all the food packed up."

"I have a bag for Sophia. A few pair of clothes, some pajamas. Elsa, of course."

"We can stop by my apartment on the way outta town," Daryl offered. "I can grab some stuff."

"I have some of your things. You left your bow, remember?"

"Didn't have room for it," he said with a nod.

"It's in the basement. And we have a shotgun locked up in the closet down there. A box of ammo. I have some of your clothes." Daryl eyed her. "You forgot them, and I…well, I sleep in your shirt sometimes. It makes me feel better." She sniffled and shrugged, before he leaned in and brushed his lips against her forehead. "You have some clothes in a box in the basement. Stuff we were gonna sell in the rummage last year, but we didn't get around to bringing it out."

"Alright," he said with a nod. "That'll be fine."

"We can still stop, if you want."

"Nah, I just wanna get you and Soph outta here."

"We should wait until morning," Carol suggested. "I don't know what's going on out there, but I sure as hell don't want to take my baby out there in the dark with all of the shooting going on out there."

"We'll leave at first light, alright? We'll watch the patrols and wait for the right second. Then'll we'll load up the truck and get the hell outta here." Carol just nodded, and she wrung her hands together as she got up and moved away from the bed. She walked over to the window, peering out before she moved toward the door.

"Where you goin'?"

"I'm gonna check the locks again. I'm just…did you get the deadbolt?"

"I did," he promised.

"Oh. Ok." She looked away. "Should we try the TV again?" Daryl picked up the remote from the bedside table and turned on the television mounted on the wall by the door. He flipped through the channels to find nothing but a blank screen. He promptly turned it back off, and Carol moved to the closet to rummage through it, producing a small radio they hadn't used since they were first married.

She plugged it in and turned it on, tuning it slightly to try to catch the station they usually listened to. Nothing but static. Carol sighed softly and shook her head. Daryl moved up behind her, gently reaching around to place his hand over hers, flipping the radio's switch to off. She turned in his arms, and he pulled her in, gently pulling at her waist with his shaking hands.

"Talk to me," he said softly, his eyes fixed on hers.

"I'm terrified," she murmured. "I'm afraid to…to breathe. To move." Another round of gunshots echoed from outside, and she flinched. He pulled her close. "It's like the world's coming to an end or something."

"I ain't gonna let nothin' happen to you. I swear to God, I'm done hurtin' this family," he promised. She brought her hand to his cheek as a tear slipped down her own.

"Stop it," she murmured, her lip trembling. She leaned into him, nuzzling his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head and gently stroked her back, sighing heavily as they sort of sunk into each other. She lifted her head slightly, and he leaned in, pressing his lips against hers and letting the kiss deepen as they clung to each other out of need.

A knock came to the door, and Carol took a large step back, her eyes flickering up to his, her chest heaving as she brought her fingertips to her kiss-swollen lips.

"Sophia? What is it, sweetie?"

"I had a bad dream," she sniffled from the other side of the door. Carol sighed softly and moved to open the slightly ajar door the rest of the way.

"Come in, sweetheart," she offered, holding her hand out. Sophia took her hand, and she blinked sleepily at her father across the room.

"I heard screaming outside, Daddy. And loud bangs."

"C'mere, Princess," Daryl offered, holding his arms out to her. She hurried over, and he scooped her up. "Daddy won't let nothin' happen to you, you know that?"

"Uh-huh," she sniffled.

"Good," Daryl murmured, pulling her into a hug, looking right into Carol's eyes.

"I wouldn't let nothin' happen to you or your mama. I love ya both, and that ain't never gonna change. Whatever happens, we got each other, right?"

"Right," Sophia said sleepily. "Mommy?" She turned in her daddy's arms. "Can I sleep with you tonight?" Carol nodded, and Daryl let Sophia down to climb into the middle of the bed. As Sophia settled down to go back to sleep, Carol wiped a stray tear from her eye.

"Will you stay?" she asked gently. He swallowed hard and nodded, brushing his fingertips against her cheek.

"'Course I will," he promised. Together, they moved toward the bed, getting in on either side of Sophia. They lay there for the longest time, just staring at one another. Carol gently stroked Sophia's hair until the little girl's chest rose and fell slowly, evenly. And then she reached over and brushed Daryl's hair from his eyes. He took her hand in his, softly kissing the knuckles.

"Love you," he said softly as her eyes began to flutter closed.

"I love you, too," she murmured, before she let the comfort of her husband and daughter's presence wash over her and ease her into a dreamless sleep.


	7. Chapter 7 - Let Go

Chapter 7 – Let Go

_Seven Years Ago_

_She was pouring them both some lemonade, and he was sitting on her couch, trying to control the fire that was burning in his belly. So he focused on her living room. It was painted a soft, pale yellow, just yellow enough to make it cheerful, not yellow enough to cause a headache. The furniture didn't match, but it was nice, probably a gift from her parents, he figured, because if he was correct, most people had parents that helped them with shit like that. It was something foreign to him, but he believed it was true for other people._

_"I made it this morning," she offered, handing a glass to him. He jumped at the realization that she had come back into the room without him noticing, and she was standing right next to him, her lips curled up into a smile, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." He took the glass and took a large gulp of the sweet, tart drink. _

_"It's good," he said with a nod. "Thanks." He took another large gulp, nearly emptying his glass before Carol even took her first sip. She sat down next to him on the couch, putting a little distance between them as she curled her legs up under her and flipped the TV on. _

_"I figured you probably weren't in a hurry to get back home to your brother."_

_"Not really," he snorted. _

_"Well, feel free to hang out for a while. There's gotta be something good on TV." She was flipping through the channels now, and he was staring at her. Is that what she'd brought him back here for? To hang out, drink lemonade and watch TV? It wasn't that he didn't want to spend time with her, but he'd had the idea that she maybe wanted something a little more than that. Maybe not sex, but…_

_He suddenly felt like a complete idiot. How the hell was a twenty-five year old virgin like him supposed to expect anything out of a woman like her? Fuck, he suddenly felt like crawling into a hole and dying of horror at that moment._

_"Hey." Her sweet voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "You ok over there?"_

_"M'good," he mumbled. Carol scooted a little closer to him, taking a sip of her lemonade before putting it down on the table. _

_"You're kinda cute when you're a nervous wreck."_

_"I ain't nervous." The quiver in his voice gave his lie away. Carol sighed softly and reached for the remote, turning the television off. Daryl was certain his heart was beating so loudly that Carol would be able to hear it. But she didn't seem to mind either way, because she was leaning in, pressing her lips against the corner of his mouth._

_He sucked in a ragged breath, and Carol smiled softly, making a humming noise against his lips. She placed her hand against his cheek and turned his face toward hers, fully capturing his lips with her own. His tongue slipped between her lips, and his nerves jolted as Carol moaned softly. He'd been told he was a good kisser, and Carol's response to his tongue in her mouth built his confidence a little.*_

_Her fingers curled into the neck of his shirt, her nails barely scratching at his skin. He trembled under the touch. She tugged at him a little, and he fell against her as she lay back against the couch. They kissed for a while, and she pulled one knee up, draping her leg over his, pulling his hips flush against hers. She wriggled slightly, the friction making him pause, groaning against her mouth as his body fought for dear life to hold on and not make this into just another embarrassing encounter to add to his list._

_"Daryl," she moaned softly, as his hand moved under the hem of her shirt, grazing over her ribcage. The muscles of her stomach jumped, and he pulled his hand back anxiously. _

_"M'sorry," he grumbled. _

_"What?" she panted. "What are you apologizing for?" Her lips were pink and swollen from his kisses, and her eyes were heavy with passion. Daryl swallowed hard and put his hand back where it was before, and as he leaned down to kiss her again, she stopped him, gently nudging him with her hand. _

_"S'wrong?"_

_"Daryl?" she asked again, her elbows digging into the couch cushions as she propped herself up. "Are you…are you a virgin?" She saw his shoulders slump slightly, but he didn't make a move to get off of her or get away. "It's ok if you are. It's…it's fine."_

_"Fuck," he grumbled. Then he started to scramble, but she held onto his arm, keeping him in place. _

_"Hey," she said softly, reaching up to run her fingers through his hair. "It's ok if you are. I think it's sweet." She smiled a little, and she saw the flush fill his cheeks. She knew she was embarrassing him, and while she felt bad, she couldn't help but feel an excitement at the idea of being his first. Maybe his only. Oh, she knew she was getting ahead of herself, but her head was swimming now. How could a man who kissed like that have never gone all the way with a woman before?_

_She took his lack of confirmation or denial as a clear answer that he was, in fact, a virgin, and her smile brightened._

_"Somethin' funny?" he asked, his confidence beginning to fail as he realized that she was extremely turned on by the idea that he had no idea what the hell he was doing. The last thing he wanted to do was completely fuck this up and embarrass them both._

_"No," she breathed, relaxing back against the couch cushions, curling her fingers back into his shirt before tugging up. He raised a little, letting her slide the garment over his arms. Her hands explored his chest for a moment, before her gaze dragged up to meet his. "Nothing's funny about this." She leaned in, pressing a kiss against his bare shoulder. "Are you ok?"_

_"Yeah," he groaned, as he felt her hand trail down his stomach. Now his own muscles were jumping, and he thought he might bust right out of his pants. _

_"You want me?" she asked, her voice low, almost teasing. Her tongue was sliding over his neck, and her lips were sucking there, and he thought he might die before they even got to the sex part._

_"Yeah," he moaned, his hips bucking forward when her hand moved to press against the bulge in his jeans. "Fuck, Carol!" She grinned, her nose crinkling as he buried his head against her shoulder. _

_"Good," she whispered. "I want you, too." Oh, this was going to be fun. "Do you have anything?"_

_"Anything?" he asked, his mind blank as he struggled to form coherent thoughts. _

_"A condom?" she asked, raising an eyebrow._

_"Oh, uh…" He stood on his knees and patted his pants pockets before dipping his fingers in and fishing out a little silver packet. Merle had tossed it at him as they walked out the door, saying that tonight might be the night, and he didn't want his brother getting the clap on his first dip in the pool. _

_"Had high hopes for tonight, did you?"_

_"Hopes? Maybe. Uh…Merle gave it to me." Carol grinned a little, tugging him back down, taking the condom from his hand. She sat it down on the floor, and he eyed her. _

_"Oh, we won't be needing that just yet." She bit her lip, and she arched up, taking control and lifting her own shirt over her head. Daryl's mouth watered at the sight of her in her bra, the way her chest was dotted with the occasional freckle. One was just on the top of her right breast, and he wanted desperately to taste her._

_"Holy shit," he murmured. Carol couldn't help the giggle that escaped, and she grabbed him by the back of his neck, pulling him down. He dragged his thumb into the cups of her bra, exposing her breasts to his sight for the first time, and in a moment, his mouth was on her, his teeth scraping over her nipple. She moaned softly, hissing in a sharp breath to indicate pain. "Shit, I'm sorry."_

_"It's ok. I kinda liked it," she grinned. "Just a little softer, ok? For now." The tone of her voice, the indication that for now meant there might be other times, well, that just about sent him over. "Hey. Relax. We're having fun. We're good." Daryl just stared at her dumbly, his mouth slightly agape as if waiting for her to tell him what to do next. She put a little pressure on his neck, guiding him back to her breast. He was softer this time, his tongue and teeth and lips working hungrily as he teased one peak and then the other, and she sighed, biting her lip and moaning as he worked, exploring and getting comfortable, settling between her thighs._

_As the minutes passed, she reached behind her back, unhooking her bra to get a little more comfortable. _

_He peeked up at her, seeing the way her face was pink and her eyes were closed as her head rolled back, and he realized that it was because of him. He wanted to taste more of her, to taste every inch of her gorgeous body, but now her hands were tugging at him, and he was kissing her mouth again. Her hands were fumbling with his belt, and he groaned as she slid her hand inside, wrapping her hand around his dick. _

_"God," he groaned, panting hard against her neck. "Carol, I'm…"_

_"Shh," she whispered softly, pushing on his chest, letting go of him so he could sit back on the couch. She moved then, crawling over him, loosening his pants just enough to shimmy them down his hips. She kept her eyes on his as she pulled his dick out of his boxers, stroking it gently in her hand. She watched the way his eyes screwed shut, and his jaw clenched. His head flew back, knocking against the arm rest at the sensation of somebody other than himself stroking his dick. "Nobody's ever done this for you before?" She raised an eyebrow._

_"Just me," he muttered, feeling utterly stupid and lame. She grinned._

_"Well," she hummed softly, scooting herself down to couch to lay between his legs, "lucky me."_

Daryl was the first to wake up, and he made as little movement as possible getting out of bed in an effort to not wake Carol and Sophia right away. He covered them both up with a blanket and slipped out of the room. He wasted no time in gathering bags and boxes and taking armfuls at a time out to the truck.

The neighborhood was quiet, still. A dark brown stain on the grass of Mrs. Murphy's house was the only evidence that something horrible had happened the night before. He shuddered to think about it, but he didn't let it slow him down.

Next, he went down to the basement and found his crossbow. Merle had bought it for him years ago, and it was still in pretty damned good condition. He had a whole bag full of arrows, which he slung over his shoulder. He made a quick grab for the box of clothes Carol had told him about and then he unlocked the closet door and reached in for the shotgun and the ammo.

Once everything was loaded in the truck, he headed into the house and up the stairs to find Carol and Sophia still curled up asleep. He gently put his hand over Carol's shoulder, and she jolted slightly, blinking into the dim light of the room before letting her eyes focus on Daryl.

"Hey," she murmured, yawning sleepily. "Everything ok?"

"I got the truck all packed." She sat up quickly.

"You went out there?"

"S'alright," he promised her. "I got it taken care of." She sighed heavily, and she got out of bed, pulling her arms around him.

"I heard explosions last night," she murmured quietly.

"What? Why didn't you wake me?"

"I was too terrified to move. I didn't want…I thought maybe it was the end. That it was coming for us. That we were just…and I froze, Daryl. I thought I was in the middle of a nightmare. I'm not so sure I wasn't. Maybe I did dream it. Maybe…" She swallowed hard and blinked, letting her eyes adjust to full consciousness.

"C'mon," Daryl urged. "Let's get going. Wanna get as much distance between us and the city as we can."

"Daryl, what if they come after us? What if they shoot at us?" The question was a valid one. They could either stay home and wait for someone…or something to get to them, or they could take their chances on the road and pray that they could make it out without being stopped.

"We're gettin' outta here. We'll shoot for Merle's old huntin' shack. Ain't much, but it's remote. Got a couple rooms."

"Maybe he'll be there," she offered, reaching her hand out to brush over his shoulder.

"Dunno," he muttered. "Wherever the hell he is, he sure as hell ain't sittin' round waitin' for this plague to get him." He moved to the bed, picking Sophia up in his arms. She yawned and opened her eyes.

"Daddy?" she asked.

"What is it, sweetheart?"

"Is it time for school?" Daryl couldn't help but smile softly at his daughter's innocence.

"No, baby. We're goin' on a trip."

"A trip? Are we doing to Disneyland?"

"We're going away. Your teacher…she knows. She says it's ok. You can work on your reading on our trip, ok?"

"Ok, daddy," she said with a smile. "You sure we're not going to Disneyland?" Daryl hugged his daughter close, his eyes meeting Carol's again. Carol blinked back the tears and shook her head. How was the world coming to this? How was it that nobody knew what was going on and people were being shot dead in their front yards? How was it that people were dying off and, if the news reports were accurate, coming back and attacking the living? It made no sense. It was like something out of a horror movie, and the idea of it made Carol's stomach lurch. She put her hand over her mouth and rushed to the bathroom. Daryl flinched when he heard her vomit, and he carried Sophia out into the hall.

"Sweetheart, you pack up Elsa and go get a couple pair of shoes, ok? Mommy's got the rest of your stuff all packed up. It's in the truck."  
"Ok, Daddy," she said with a grin. She hurried off to get Elsa packed and to get dressed, and Daryl headed into the bathroom to find Carol leaning over the toilet.

"It's gonna be ok," he offered her.

"No," she said, shaking her head, sniffling. "It's not." She flushed the toilet and stood on her shaky legs to face him. Shaking her head, she bit her trembling lip, and then she just let go, covering her mouth and sobbing. "I don't know what to do, Daryl. I don't. I don't…" She took in a few gasping breaths, and Daryl pulled her into his arms.

"It's gonna be ok," he promised. "I'm gonna make it ok. We're gonna be just fine, Carol. I swear to God, I ain't gonna let nothin' happen to our family." He held her close, and her fingers clung to his shirt, pulling at it, needing something tangible to hold onto, as she hooked her other arm around his neck and buried her face against his neck. "We ain't broken. We're strong. We're gonna make it. I promise you, we're gonna be alright."

Sophia came running into the room, freezing suddenly when she saw her mommy crying in her daddy's arm.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her eyes wide and filled with worry.

"Nothin' for you to worry about, Soph," Daryl promised. "You ready to go?"

"Uh-huh," she said slowly. "Mama, are you ok?"

"Mama's fine, sweetie," Carol sniffled, wiping at her eyes. "Go wait downstairs with Daddy. I'm gonna go get dressed, and then we're outta here, ok?"

"Ok," Sophia said quietly, suddenly realizing they probably weren't going to Disneyland after all. "I love you, Mama. Don't cry." She hurried over and gave her mother a big hug around the middle, before she hurried out the door.

"I'll be down in a few minutes. Please, Daryl, don't let her out of your sight." Daryl nodded and headed after Sophia, leaving Carol to sit down on their bed for the last time, and try and take in as many memories as she possibly could, because deep down, she knew, she was never going to see home again.


	8. Chapter 8 - Getting to Know You

Chapter 8 – Getting to Know You

_Of the very few things he'd ever done with a woman, Daryl figured that this would have to be at the top of his list. After an awkward few moments of exchanging information about their sexual health status, with Daryl of course being clean as a whistle and Carol informing him she'd been tested a few months ago, ensuring Ed hadn't left her with any lingering issues after he'd cheated on her for the last time, she'd eased him back against the couch and began breaking the chains around his sexual innocence. _

_He lay back against the couch, as her hand and mouth moved in unison to work him over and into a frenzy. His heart felt like it was about to break out of his chest, and his hands were clenched against the couch cushion. _

_Her free hand moved up his thigh, gently squeezing along the way until she was tickling her way up his stomach. He gasped, feeling his balls tighten as her tongue flattened against the underside of his dick, putting pressure on the vein that ran down it. _

_"Fuck," he shuddered, thrusting upward and further into her mouth. She moaned, putting her hand at the base of his dick, controlling how much she took in, and when he felt that familiar tingling, one he'd felt a hundred times before in his bed in the middle of the night or in the shower in the morning, he panicked. "Shit. Carol…I'm…" And that was all he could get out before he came, and her eyes blew open in surprise, but she didn't back away. She held him there, and his face was burning as he watched her in amazement. When he was finished, Carol let go of him, wiping the corner of her mouth and watching the way his chest moved unsteadily as he struggled to figure out how to breathe again. "M'sorry. Fuck, I shoulda said something sooner."_

_"It's ok," she assured him, crawling over him, settling against him. She reached for a glass of lemonade and drank down a few gulps before she relaxed against his chest. "You ok?"_

_"That was fucking awesome," he panted. Carol snickered and kissed his neck._

_"Glad you approved," she said with a little shrug. She smiled, dipping down to swirl her tongue around his nipple, and his cock twitched in appreciation. Oh, yes, this was definitely going to be fun. She smiled a little and moved off of him, quickly kicking off her shoes and undoing her pants. Daryl might have felt a little ridiculous laying shirtless on the couch with his pants and boxers halfway down his legs, but he couldn't take his eyes off her body as she wriggled her hips to pull her jeans down them, kicking them off and then sliding her white, cotton panties down, too. She stood there, running her hand up her stomach, grazing over a breast before sliding her fingers through her auburn hair, her blue eyes piercing his. All he could think about was how this was more amazing than he ever could have imagined._

_This was definitely the best night of his life._

_"Come on," she urged, crooking her finger at him, beckoning him toward her. Daryl practically scrambled off the couch like an excited puppy, slipping out of the rest of his clothes so he wouldn't trip over himself. The last thing he needed was to explain to an emergency room doctor who he'd fallen, naked, into the coffee table and hit his head. _

_He followed her down the hallway and into her bathroom, suddenly fully aware that he was completely naked, and she was completely naked, and they were going to be naked together in the bathroom. He shivered a little when the shower door creaked on its hinges, and Carol reached in to turn the water on. Within moments, steam was billowing up from the top of the shower, and Carol was stepping inside, her nipples hardening instantly in the cool air as hot water splashed and streamed down her back. And then he was following her, unquestioningly, stepping into the stream with her, letting the door fall shut on its own. For a moment, he stood there, uncertain as to what he should do, but she took the lead, thank God, and he was moaning the moment her tongue slid past his lips._

_She smiled against his mouth for a moment, and he thought she might be going for round two, this time on her knees, but instead, she was pushing on his shoulder, and he realized, suddenly what she wanted._

_"You…I've never…"_

_"It's ok. You want to learn?" A smile peaked on her lips, and he nodded, clearly game for anything. He was on his knees before he knew it, and his hands were gripping her hips. She ran her fingers through his wet hair for a moment, before she grabbed his hand and guided it down her stomach and to the apex of her thighs. "If you're half as good at this as you are at kissing, I'm a very lucky woman." Daryl felt his dick twitch with confidence now, and he let his fingers explore her thighs, the folds of her pussy that dripped with water, the curve of her ass as he pressed his nose against her mound. He'd heard Merle gripe about going down on a woman, how he preferred getting his dick sucked to eating a woman out, because every woman tasted different, and that wasn't a good thing._

_But as he prodded her open with two shaking fingers and tentatively ran his tongue down the sides of her folds and she lurched forward, leaning against him and moaning softly at his actions, he realized that clearly Merle had never been with a woman like Carol. She tasted like nothing he'd ever imagined. He couldn't describe it, but the moment he tasted her, his dick came to life, and he wanted badly to jerk off or have her jerk him off, but she'd done something for him. The least he could do was do something for her, as blindly as he was going into it, and show her that he was willing to learn if she was willing to teach him._

_He glanced up at her, a willing participant, and her eyes fluttered closed. Her hand wrapped around a steel bar on the shower wall to steady herself, and in that moment, she thanked the heavens that the previous tenant was an elderly woman who had that bar installed so she could ease in and out of the shower without falling. _

_"What do you want me to do?" he asked, his voice a mix of desire and innocent curiosity as his hand moved over the curve of her ass again._

_"Just…do what feels natural," she offered. Without warning, he slipped two fingers inside of her, and her hips bucked forward. "Oh, shit." _

_"This ok?"_

_"Don't stop," she encouraged. "Just…holy shit." He leaned in, his nose pressing against her mound again, and he took a tentative swipe of his tongue around her folds again, and she trembled, her free hand clutching into his hair. He circled his tongue around the hard little nub, and when she cried out, he realized what he'd found. Fuck, his list of awesome things that had happened tonight was growing, and this was definitely at the top._

_He let her whimpers and moans guide him, and he gently stroked her, pumping his fingers in and out of her, hoping to God he was doing it right, because while he was willing to learn anything, the last thing he wanted was to find out later that he'd completely messed it up. But the way her body was responding, the way his fingers were slick with her juices and her muscles fluttered around his fingers, he was clearly doing something right._

_He devoured her, using his lips and his tongue, sucking the little bud, the spot that got the most noise out of her. She dug her nails into his shoulder when he removed his fingers and gripped her hips with both hands, spreading her legs a little wider to get at her better. It didn't take long before she came, and his eyes flew open in surprise, but he didn't move. He didn't dare move. He just slowed his actions as her body spasmed and trembled against him. When she stilled, he pulled back and looked up at her, watching the way she tilted her head back into the stream of water, breathing heavily, her eyes still closed tightly as she tried to gain her composure. _

_Then he was standing, boldly pulling his arms around her. _

_"That ok?" he asked._

_"You've never done that before? Ever?" she breathed after a few moments. Daryl shrugged, shaking his head slightly. "You're a quick learner. God, what else are you good at?" She gave him a sleepy, sexy grin, and he smiled back before leaning in to kiss her._

_She moaned at the taste of herself on his lips and tongue, but she didn't pull back. They just stood together, clinging to one another in the shower, letting the water wash over them, easing them into a series of soft, slow kisses. _

_As first kinda-dates went, this was the best either of them had ever had._

Getting out of the neighborhood had been tricky. By the time they'd gotten the rest of their gear out of the car and loaded themselves into the cab of Daryl's pickup, there were a couple of police cars patrolling the area, with a military SUV parked just a block and a half down, soldiers standing on either side of it with weapons.

They'd snuck out of the house, Daryl carrying Sophia and trying to keep her quiet and not let her see the men with the guns, because he knew she'd get really curious if she spotted them. He and Carol worked silently together to finish putting things in the back of the truck. They closed their truck doors quietly, and it wasn't until Daryl's truck roared to life that the soldiers took off on foot toward them.

Carol felt the panic rise up in her throat, but she didn't say anything. The last thing she wanted to do was scare Sophia, so she reached around Sophia to squeeze Daryl's shoulder, her gaze leading his to the mirror. He released the brake and headed off down the road. Silenced gunshots pinged off the back of the tailgate, and Carol closed her eyes.

"Mama, what was that?" Sophia asked, trying to turn around in the seat.

"Nothing, sweetie. Sit still. Keep your belt on." Sophia sighed and shrugged and pulled Elsa into her lap to play with her hair. Daryl turned along Vine Street, the street they normally took when taking Sophia to school. There were no cars out and about at all. He could see a military blockade at the intersection up ahead, and without saying a word, he turned off down the alley that would lead him out to Main Street.

Carol clutched the arm rest of the door hard in her hand, her eyes scanning the road ahead of them as Daryl drove in silence.

"There's no cars out," Sophia noted, peering up from her doll and looking at the world outside. "Is everybody sleeping?"

"Maybe, sweet pea," Carol murmured, trying to quell the tremble in her voice. Sophia looked up between her parents, noticing the tense expressions on their faces, looks that she'd often seen shortly after her daddy had moved out, and she worried that maybe things were going bad again, but she said nothing. She just looked down at her doll and played with her hair.

Daryl turned off onto Main Street and headed back toward the neighborhood, knowing there was a road at the edge that would lead out into the rural areas and eventually led to a state highway. Where state highways were, eventually an interstate would come along, and that was what he was hoping for. Something that could take them far away from whatever hellish nightmare their town had become.

But the further he drove, the more his stomach sank. Bodies were strewn along the sidewalks, some of them covered, some of them not. Some of them had bloodied mouths, as if they'd been biting something. Eating something. The thought sickened him, and he glanced at Carol, gauging her reaction as they drove along. She flinched at the sight, and she sat very still, as if hoping not to make any sudden movements to distract Sophia from her playing. The last thing that child needed to see was rows of dead people lining the road.

As they turned to head out of town, they realized exactly what it was that they'd Carol had heard the night before. She'd heard explosions, all right. Several of the large downtown buildings that they could see from the highway had been leveled. Some of them still stood, but something had happened, and smoke was rising from them in long, black pillars.

"Oh God," she whispered under her breath. "What's happening here?" Sophia tried to see over the dash to see what was happening, but she was too little.

"Mama, what is it?"

"Nothing sweetheart," Carol murmured, clutching the door handle. Daryl white-knuckled the steering wheel and brought the truck to a stop on the side of the road. "Honey, you play in here, ok? Daddy and I will be right outside." Sophia nodded and pulled Elsa's hair into a silly ponytail, giggling as she waved her doll back and forth.

Carol moved around to Daryl's side of the truck, slipping her hand into his.

"What the hell do we do?" she asked softly.

"We do what we planned. Try and make a go for Merle's old fishin' shack. We got probably a hundred miles, at least, but we can do it. We stick to the back roads when we can, try not to get out on the highway."

"And then what?" Carol asked quietly.

"I dunno," he murmured quietly. "We'll figure it out when we get settled, I s'pose." He rubbed his hand over his stubble-covered chin. He watched as she looked back at the city, her eyes misted over as she tried not to cry. "That ain't home anymore, Carol. We ain't lookin' back."


	9. Chapter 9 - Home

Chapter 9 – Home

_The shower had boosted his confidence up a few notches, and Carol had led him back to her room. He was actually in her room, sitting on her bed, and he thought that something had to be too good to be true. The other shoe had to drop or something, because there was no way he was about to finally have sex, because that just wasn't how life ever turned out for Daryl Dixon._

_Once they were out of the shower, she'd led him down the hall to her room, telling him to have a seat as if she were welcoming him into her home for the first time. He'd sat down on the edge of her bed, and she'd slipped out for a few moments, and it wasn't until she returned that he realized why. _

_She came walking back in, and his eyes tried to focus on her face, but he was intoxicated by the ache in his groin as her breasts swayed and her hips moved back and forth in her natural gait. In her hand was that little silver packet._

_Fuck. It was really happening, and it wasn't at all how he'd expected it. He'd expected a woman to laugh and run away at the idea of a man his age being a virgin. Merle sure had given him shit about it, always telling the younger women he brought home about it as if it were a conversation starter. He couldn't count the number of women Merle had brought home and how many of them had giggled and given him that fake sympathetic look when they learned he hadn't had sex. They treated him like there was something wrong with him, always giving him that same patronizing, 'well don't worry, it'll happen for you one day' before they disappeared with Merle and made no doubts about how fantastic sex with the older Dixon was. Either that, or they were faking it. Loudly._

_Daryl's hands were sweating now, and his mind went blank as Carol spread her legs, straddling his lap and lowering herself to sit on him. His dick was hard against her thigh, and she grinded against his lap for a moment, and he thought he might lose it at that moment._

_She must have felt him tense, because she pressed a soft kiss to his neck._

_"Hey," she whispered softly, "it's ok." Her hand moved down his chest and over his stomach before curling around his dick. _

_"Ain't gonna last long," he panted against her mouth as she leaned in for a soft kiss._

_"It's ok if you don't," she said with a smile. "That's what the blow job was for. And the shower. It's been a good night for both of us, hmm?" Daryl's face blazed red, and Carol giggled, but not in the way Merle's conquests would. She was genuinely thrilled to be here. With him. She wanted to have sex with him. And the thought of it made his heart swell. "Daryl?"_

_"Hmm?" The only thing he could think about was how her hand was stroking him, and how he might come all over her hand before he even had the chance to be with her. That would be his luck. As if reading his mind, she let go of him, curling her arms around his neck before kissing him deeply._

_"What do you want?" she whispered as she pulled back._

_"I want you," he murmured. Was his face on fire? Did he smell smoke? He thought, briefly, that he might be having some kind of a stroke. He had to be dreaming. Any second, he would wake up and he'd have to change his underwear and his bed sheets. _

_"You've got me. Right now," she promised. "Now what do you want to do with me?" His mouth watered as he thought of all the things he wanted to do to her, all the things he'd ever imagined doing with a woman like her. But the fact that he'd just met her, the fact that this was happening so damned fast, and the fact that she was actually looking at him like she wanted him too was all too much. "Do you want to stop? We can stop."_

_"No!" he cried out, holding onto her hips as she straddled him. She bit her lip, stifling a giggle and she moved in to kiss him once again. She took his hand, guiding him down her stomach and between her legs. She moaned softly as his fingers slipped against her. _

_"I want you to put your fingers inside of me," she murmured against his mouth. He slipped one finger in and then another, mesmerized by the feel of her and how her head bowed forward to rest against his shoulder. She grabbed his wrist, showing him exactly how she wanted him to move his hand, and he caught on quickly until she was whimpering against his neck. _

_"Stop," she whispered softly. He withdrew his hand quickly, slippery from her fluids. "Kiss me." And he did. And then they were falling back against the mattress, and she was straddling his lap. "I want you inside me when I come." _

_Exactly how was a guy supposed to respond to that? Well, he responded in the only way he could. He buried his fingers in her hair and boldly pulled her down for another kiss. She moaned against his mouth as his tongue slipped against hers, and somehow, he was flipping her onto her back, and she was opening her legs to him. _

_He heard the crinkle of the condom wrapper as she tore it open and extended it to him. He took the slippery little thing in his and struggled to put it over his dick with his shaking hands. When it was successfully covering him, he was crawling over her, trying to figure out exactly how this worked. He'd seen it in porn. He'd even walked in on Merle doing it a few times, but to actually be doing it himself was something else entirely._

_Just as he was about to have a full blown panic attack because he couldn't exactly figure out if he should just push home or tease her a little bit, Carol reached for him, grabbing him and positioning him exactly where he needed to be._

_He groaned at the feeling of her sex hot and wet against his tip, and when she grabbed his ass and pulled him against her, he felt her walls open up to him as he slid inside of her. He shuddered at the feeling of heat and pressure and friction all in one amazing combination, and he slumped against her briefly, adjusting to this new feeling, something his hand had never replicated. Fuck, she was amazing._

_"Fuck," he groaned, filling her completely as she wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing him flush against her. She gasped at the feeling of being completely filled by him, and while he knew he had nothing to be ashamed at in the dick department, he was amazed at how she panted and cried out as he stretched her, as if she hadn't had sex with a man of his size before. Well, this certainly bumped his confidence up a notch or two._

_"This alright?" he murmured hoarsely as her walls fluttered against him._

_"Perfect," she murmured, seeking out his mouth, kissing him hungrily. "Daryl…" He slipped back slightly before pushing forward again, and the sound she made was more than enough to tell him he was on the right track. He moved again and then again, each thrust increasing in power, and her hand slipped between them, her finger moving over her hard little bud. He dipped down, taking a nipple between his lips, sucking down hard for a moment, getting a groan out of her as he brushed her hand away, replacing it with his own. "Oh, fuck," she gasped out, as he mimicked her previous actions, circling his fingers over her slippery clit. "Right there. Oh, fuck, Daryl!" She bit her lip, throwing her head back against the pillow. _

_She bucked her hips against his, urging him to move, and they explored one another in a push and pull, her leading, him following, learning the way she liked to be touched, the way she liked to be kissed, the way she liked him to pull out and then slam back against her, bringing them both closer to the edge._

_It was over quickly, which wasn't a huge surprise to either of them, and as he collapsed against her, she stroked the back of his neck and kissed his forehead, and he felt the heat in his cheeks as he blushed from embarrassment. _

_"M'sorry," he murmured, rolling off of her. _

_"What are you apologizing for?" she asked, panting softly as she came down from her orgasm. "We both got something out of it. I'd say it was a success." Daryl couldn't help it. He laughed at that. He actually laughed, because here he was thinking he completely failed at sex, and she was pointing out the good points of it. He didn't mind the positive reinforcement, and she wasn't kicking him out of bed, so he felt pretty good about that._

_"You…you liked it?" he asked, a little beside himself. A smile spread over Carol's face, and she laughed. Hey, at least the laughter came after the sex and not during or before. He felt his chest tighten a little._

_"I liked it," she promised. He relaxed a little and swallowed hard. "And the best part?"_

_"What's that?" he asked, rolling onto his side to face her._

_"Next time will be even better."_

_"There'll be a next time?" he asked, a hopeful smile on his face as he felt exhaustion beginning to take over. _

_"Mmm," she hummed, reaching over to stroke his cheek. She bit her lip before leaning in to kiss him softly. "After all, practice makes perfect."_

They didn't get far. Ten miles down an old country road led them to a congested state road where a major traffic snarl several miles up had brought the travelers to a standstill. The first thing Daryl noticed was that there were no police officers and no soldiers to keep order. These people were breaking the law, too, and there were hundreds of them. Cars were parked along the sides of the roads, people were standing on the roofs of their cars and on top of the taller vehicles to try to get a look at what was going on up ahead.

"Jesus," Daryl muttered, slamming on the brakes as a man went darting in front of the truck. "Watch it, asshole." He always tried not to curse around Sophia, but it was a gut reaction to said asshole darting in front of the truck.

Daryl glanced tensely at Carol and then back at the road.

"We ain't gettin' in the middle of this. Not now," Daryl said gruffly, throwing the truck into reverse and skidding back, nearly hitting another car as he forced the truck around. Carol held onto Sophia as Daryl sped off in the direction they'd come from.

"Where are you going?" she whispered, stroking Sophia's hair.

"Gotta get some guns. Ammo."

"Where do you expect to get that?" Carol asked. "Everything's closed."

"Then we're just gonna have to get it for ourselves," he replied. Carol stared at him, mouth slightly agape.

"I can't keep you two safe with a crossbow and a shotgun. We're gonna need more. You're gonna need to have your own protection. I ain't havin' you out there without a gun."

"Daryl, I don't…"

"I know how ya feel 'bout guns," he said quietly, "but times are changin', and you're gonna have to get used to it." He didn't mean to snap. He meant to tell her how it was, and she knew that, but it still bothered her a little. She sat back against the seat, and Sophia blinked up at her in confusion.

"Mama, why do we need guns?"

"To keep the monsters away, baby," Carol said softly, wanting to preserve her daughter's innocence for as long as she could. "Don't worry. You're safe. You're safe, Soph." Sophia took her mother's words as truth and went back to playing with her doll.

Daryl drove on until he came upon old Webb Turner's house at the end of Corner Road. Old Webb Turner was the crazy old man all the kids talked about. His house was right there by the bus stop, and rumor had had all kinds of guns and kept them on display, even stepping out of his door with one once in a while to make sure people saw he had it. Maybe it was his way of keeping people from trying to mess with him or break into his house. He had weapons, and he wanted people to know it.

Old Webb was out of town this week. That, Daryl knew, because he'd spotted him packing his things and getting into a cab just a couple mornings ago on the way to work, and given the state of things, there was no way he was back yet.

"What are you doing?" Carol asked, her voice a harsh whisper.

"Gettin' what we need."

"Daryl…"

"You stay in the car with Soph. I'll be a few minutes. Just gotta get a few things. He ain't home. He ain't gonna need 'em now." Carol sighed heavily and nodded her head. She knew he was right, though the idea of breaking into somebody else's house felt wrong. But right now, it seemed the whole world was wrong, and maybe this was what they had to do to keep themselves and their daughter safe.


	10. Chapter 10 - Man Up

Chapter 10 – Man Up

_"What the hell is this?" Merle glared down at the counter. Before him sat two objects: a set of keys and a black box._

_"Keys to my new pick-up. Got a new job," Daryl said proudly, pulling two beers out of the refrigerator and popping off the tops. _

_"Where?"_

_"The garage down on 7__th__? They were hirin' a new mechanic, somebody who knows motorcycles. I went in, showed 'em what I could do, and they hired me on the spot. Gonna be makin' twice what I got now. It's full time, bro. Been savin' up. Gonna find a place of my own."_

_"All this ain't good enough for ya, huh?" Merle asked, holding his arms out to illustrate the fact that Daryl was leaving their dump of a trailer behind. _

_"I'm twenty-five, bro. Time for me to move on. You got your unemployment check payin' your rent. You don't need my income." Merle snorted at that. _

_"You lookin' to nest up with that piece of ass who deflowered you, huh?"_

_"Shut up," Daryl threw back, taking another swig of beer before he pushed the black box toward him. "You think she'll like it?" Merle sighed and opened the box, revealing a simple silver band with a small diamond setting._

_"Hey, what the fuck, Darylena?! You don't mean to tell me you're fixin' on buyin' the cow?" Merle pushed the box away. "You outta your damned mind or somethin'? You get into my stash? No way in hell a sane man or a sober one would be pickin' out a ring for the first pair of legs he put his dick between."_

_"You gotta be so fuckin' crude all the time?" Daryl asked with a scoff. "I love her, bro." Merle snickered at that._

_"You gotta grow a pair, Darylena. She's got you pussy whipped." Daryl sighed heavily and snatched up the box, sticking it in his shirt pocket. _

_"You don't know shit."_

_"I know the second you blew your load, she had you wrapped around her finger. She's the only woman you ever fucked, and you're ready to settle down?"_

_"Maybe I ain't a pig like you," Daryl suggested. Merle chuckled at that._

_"Twenty years from now, you're gonna be wishin' you'd gotten around a little more."_

_"Don't care about that. Just care about her."_

_"How long's it been for you two, now?"_

_"Been together a few months," he shrugged._

_"Can I be there when you pop the question?"_

_"Why?" Daryl asked, narrowing his eyes._

_"So I can watch her run for the hills," Merle snorted. "She's gonna run so fast yer head'll spin right off your neck."_

_"Would ya stop talkin' like that?" Daryl muttered. "We ain't seein' other people. We been talkin' 'bout movin' in together."_

_"Oh, so that's the game, huh? You get this new job, this new truck, you start talkin' 'bout findin' a new place to live? You just wanna play house so ya don't gotta spend money on gas when ya want to fuck yer girlfriend."_

_"Jesus Christ, Merle!" Daryl spat. "Can't ya just say 'congrats, bro' or some shit like that? You gotta make everything into a fuckin' joke. Think you're just jealous you can't get laid unless you happen to find the first desperate, lonely drunk chick in the bar." Merle flinched at that and then grinned. _

_"I'm just kiddin' baby brother," he snorted. "Unclench your cheeks and take a breath. Ya know I'm crazy 'bout Carrie."_

_"Stop callin' her that. She hates that."_

_"Yep," he chuckled. "I know." Daryl couldn't help but smile. He knew his brother had a soft spot for Carol, but good God could Merle be as stubborn as a damned mule when it came to changes and talking about things like this. "You gonna do it tonight?"_

_"Was thinkin' about it. Gonna pick her up, take her for a ride in the truck."_

_"Bring her by first."_

_"Why?"_

_"Just shut up and listen to your big brother," Merle snorted. "You got rubbers?" Daryl eyed him. "Hey, just makin' sure you ain't gonna be havin' to get hitched just 'cause you were too stupid to remember to wrap it up."_

_"Shut up," Daryl snorted. "Alright, I'll bring her by. Ain't gonna regret it, am I?" _

_"Nah. I might be an asshole, but you can trust me," Merle pointed out with a snicker before sucking down the rest of his beer. "Now get on outta here and go get your girl." Daryl eyed his brother for a moment before grabbing the keys to his new truck and heading out the door. Merle smirked and followed his brother, peering out the door as he hopped into the truck. Merle shook his head and chuckled to himself. His baby brother was a man now._

_Daryl pulled the truck up outside the trailer, and as Carol was moving her hand toward the handle to open the door, he pulled her across the seat, and she giggled as his mouth closed over hers. _

_"What's gotten into you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and tracing her finger against his jaw. _

_"I love you," he said with a little smirk, pressing another kiss to her lips._

_"I love you too," she said with a smile when they pulled apart. She took a deep breath. The last couple of months had sped past them like crazy. Their first real date felt like the tenth date. After a month, they were both pretty much ready to move in together. Daryl had been the first to say he loved her. He'd blurted it out after sex, and they'd laughed about the timing for a few minutes before Carol had crawled over him, kissing him, whispering her own affirmation of her love for him. _

_Finally, they managed to pull themselves out of the truck, and Daryl moved to Carol's side, pulling her into his arms._

_"Just warnin' ya," he said quietly, pawing at her hips, "Merle's gonna act weird. Just don't mind him."_

_"Your brother? Weird? Gee, that's something strange and new," she deadpanned. With a wink, she leaned in and pressed her lips against his. "I think I can handle Merle Dixon."_

_"Smile, you two." Carol and Daryl both turned, a bit startled, only to have a camera flash in their faces. Merle snorted when the old Polaroid whirred and spit out a photo of them. _

_"What the hell was that for?" Daryl muttered, grabbing the photo before it fell to the ground. The picture began to fade in, and he snorted. "You're a terrible photographer, bro."_

_"Aw, it's sweet," Carol said with a grin, taking the picture and holding it close. "Our first picture together." Carol stuck the picture in her purse and gave Daryl a wink. "A keepsake."_

_"I look stupid," he muttered._

_"Shut up," she laughed. "You look perfect." _

_"Yep, she' a keeper alright. She likes ya even when you're a fuckin' mess," Merle chuckled. _

_"What do you want, Merle?" Carol asked, rolling her eyes._

_"I got some news," he said, clearing his throat. "Gonna be outta town for a while. Found some work up north. Under the table pay, so I can keep on drawin' my unemployment, of course," he said with a shrug. Daryl rolled his eyes. "Daryl tells me the two of ya wanna shack up, well you're welcome to move on into the trailer with Daryl while I'm gone, Carrie. Give livin' with him a test drive, if ya know what I mean. I'll be gone a few months, and you can save up, find yerselves a nice place."_

_"Merle, that's really sweet," Carol said softly. _

_"Plus, I figure, havin' a lady stayin' under the roof, the place might get clean."_

_"Ah, there it is," Carol laughed. "I knew you were being too nice."_

_"Nah, really, the place could use a lady's touch. 'Sides, if you two start shackin' up, I might just have to find me a roommate. Maybe one of the female variety."_

_"Yeah, because you could live with a woman and not try to invite yourself into her bed," Daryl snorted. "Good luck with that."_

_"Now you gonna take me up on my offer or not? Or am I gonna have to find somebody to rent to and charge double, 'cause I'd be alright with that."_

_"We'll stay," Carol said quickly. "Rent free, of course, right?"_

_"Only for you, Carrie. Anything goes wrong, it's on Daryl's ass to fix it though." Daryl rolled his eyes at his brother, but he had to admit, it was a pretty good idea. If they were going to find a place to live together, Carol moving into the trailer for a couple of months would help them save for a really great place. _

_"Thanks, bro." Merle nodded his head. _

_"You two get on outta here, 'fore I change my mind." Merle waved them off and handed them the Polaroid camera. "My housewarmin' present. Found it in a box of junk in the hall closet. Think it belonged to Mama." Merle disappeared back into the trailer, and Carol sighed softly, taking the camera into her hands._

_"He's takin' it a lot better than I thought he would," Daryl said with a little shrug. Carol smiled a little and snapped his picture. "Aw, stop."_

_"C'mon. Let's take this and go make some more new memories, hmm?"_

_"It involve you naked?" _

_"Maybe?" she suggested with a raised eyebrow. Daryl threw open the door and ushered her in, and she squealed as he lifted her up, practically tossing her inside. He was in the driver's seat and gunning the engine ten seconds later, and all the while, he still had that little black box in his shirt pocket._

Carol kept her eyes fixed on the house and tried not to count the minutes until Daryl returned. Her heart was thundering against her ribs, and she tried not to let Sophia see the way her hands trembled. He'd only been gone a few minutes, but it felt like much longer.

She peered out the window, watching the way the breeze caught at pieces of litter that were scattered on the ground. Everything seemed to be at a standstill, waiting for the world to start moving again. There were no cars moving down this road. There were no people coming out to search the bushes for their newspapers. No newspapers to be sought. No bus stops filled with less than enthused school children. No late-leavers speeding down the road in a rush to get to work on time. It was eerie. It wasn't normal, and the fact that there were no military vehicles or police cars on this side was a little odd. It was like they were focused solely on the center of town, as if that was where the problem was. But, as she looked in the rear view mirror, she saw a young woman walking along the street, slowly, stumbling, as if coming home from a long night at the bar.

Carol felt the fear rise up in her chest, and she sat stock still with her arm around Sophia. She watched out the mirror as the woman froze in place. She saw her lips pull back in a snarl, her teeth red and brown, flesh stuck between them. Carol felt her stomach turn, and she flinched, tightening her arm around her daughter. Sophia glanced up at her curiously.

"What's wrong, Mama?" Carol's eyes were transfixed on the image in the mirror, and the woman started toward the truck. "Mama?"

"Shhhh," Carol urged. She reached across the truck, locking the driver's side door. "Baby? You want to play a game?"

"What kind of game?"

"Well, what you do is lay down across the seat here and cover your eyes, and I want you to count to one hundred. Can you do that?"

"Uh-huh. Do I get a prize at the end?" she asked hopefully.

"We'll see, sweetheart. Now, I want you to count to one hundred, ok? No skipping numbers."

"I promise, Mama," Sophia said with a smile. She covered her eyes, and Carol slowly opened the car door.

"Now lay down, baby," Carol murmured, sliding out of the truck as the woman came walking toward the driver's side. Sophia lay on her belly across the seat, kicking her feet back and forth as she started to count. Carol grabbed for the keys in the ignition and locked the door, closing it behind her.

The woman was snarling loudly now, and Carol kept her eyes on her as she moved toward the back of the truck. Seeking out the shot gun, she quickly grabbed for the ammo and walked backward slowly as she loaded it. Daryl had taken her out hunting on a couple of occasions when they were dating, mostly so they could have some privacy and seclusion, but she'd picked up a few things, anyway.

Once the gun was loaded, she shakily held it up, aiming it at the woman who came near her.

"I'm sorry," Carol murmured, shaking her head. "I don't know what to do for you." The woman lurched forward, hands outstretched as she gnashed her teeth. "I'm sorry. Please." Carol's hands shook, and she flinched, pulling the trigger. The shot went through the woman's chest, but she just kept coming.

"Oh God," she cried out, her stomach tightening as she realized this was something far worse than just some illness. She thought back to old Mrs. Murphy on the lawn the night before, and she cringed. "Please, stop. Please." The woman continued walking toward her as brown blood oozed from the wound. "God damn it, stop!" Carol loaded up and fired another shot, this time hitting the woman between the eyes. She fell to the ground, still now, dead. Really dead. Carol sucked in a couple of sharp, uneven breaths. "I'm sorry. God, I'm sorry." Daryl came rushing out of the house, a bag over his shoulder, eyes wide as he hurried to Carol's side. He glanced toward the truck where Sophia was now peeking out the window, tears in her eyes, her little face red from crying.

"What happened?" he panted, moving to grab the gun from Carol as she slumped on the ground.

"I was trying to lead her away. She just kept coming. I shot her, and she just kept coming." Daryl pulled his arm around her waist and helped her stand. "What is this? What's going on?"

"I don't know," Daryl murmured, "but we're gettin' outta here." He nodded toward the next yard, where a man was coming toward them, snarling and stretching out his hands. Carol shuddered and rushed toward the truck with Daryl. "Got some more guns and ammo. Picked up some huntin' knives too. Old man had a collection." He hoisted the bag into the back of the truck, keeping his hand on the shot gun. Carol fumbled with the keys, unlocking her door and sliding in next to a sobbing Sophia. She let Daryl in, who promptly stashed the shotgun and ammo under the bench seat.

"Mommy the monsters," Sophia sniffled, as Carol pulled her into her lap. Sophia buried her face against her mother's neck, and Carol gently rubbed her back.

"Mama's here," Carol soothed. "Don't worry. I'll never let the monsters hurt you. I promise." She kissed the top of Sophia's head and held her tight.

Daryl got the engine running, backed the truck out of the drive and gunned it, heading off to try and find another back road that might get him up ahead of the traffic snarl on the highway. The last thing they needed was to be stuck when those things came. They needed to keep moving, and the fear that began to grip him told him that if they started running, they'd never stop.


	11. Chapter 11 - Will You?

Chapter 11 – Will You?

_At dusk, Daryl pulled the truck over at the side of the road. It was one of the less traveled rural roads where there wasn't a house for miles, and the only sound that could be heard for miles was that of crickets and the occasional wild animal scurrying through the woods._

_"What's wrong?" Carol asked, a little unsettled as Daryl eased the truck off into the grass at the side of the road. He cut the engine and turned off the lights, and he saw Carol shiver as the evening light began to darken around them. "Out of gas?" She tried to catch a peek at the indicator, but she couldn't see it. _

_"You wanna marry me?" His voice shook, but his words were sure. Carol grinned at him._

_"What?" She let out a little laugh. _

_"M'serious. You wanna marry me?"_

_"Sure," she murmured, playing along with what she thought was his game. "I think I see Elvis right up the road, here. Let's just ask him to marry us right here. Tonight." She giggled, but his expression was serious as he stared into her eyes, eyes she could get lost in a million times over if she wasn't careful._

_"Naw, not like that. A real wedding. I want ya to have the kind of wedding you deserve." Carol's smile slowly began to fade._

_"Ok, are you serious, or is this some really mean game, because, Daryl Dixon, I…" He pulled her in close, kissing her, his hands smoothing over her shoulders and down her back, sliding her across the bench eat to bridge the gap._

_"Ain't never been more serious about anything than I am about this. Carol, I wanna marry you. I love you."_

_"Daryl," Carol murmured softly, gently placing her hand against his chest, over his heart. "I'm the first woman you've ever really been serious with. I'm your first…well, you know what I mean," she said quietly._

_"So?"_

_"So, what if you wake up one day and decide you want something…_someone_…different."_

_"That ain't ever gonna happen," he said quietly with a shake of his head. "Ain't never felt like this about nobody before. But you?" He swallowed hard. "I didn't grow up with much. Didn't grow up with a whole lot of love. Not like some kids do. Didn't really know how the hell to talk to people. So I stuck with Merle. Then that night, I met you, and I swear to God, you scared the hell out of me, because you wanted me, you wanted to be with me, and that was the best feeling I ever had." Carol chuckled a little at that. "You're it, Carol. I want ya to be my wife." He reached into his shirt pocket, producing the little black box. Carol gasped softly and ran her fingers over the soft, velvety lid. "Will you?"_

_"Oh, are you crazy?" she whimpered, wiping away a little tear as she opened the lid._

_"Maybe a little," he answered, reaching over to wipe another tear from her cheek as it fell. Carol chuckled at that, sniffling. "But I know what I want. So, whaddya say?"_

_She said nothing for a few moments, pulling the ring from the box, biting her trembling lip, eyeing him and then eyeing the ring before she nodded again, sniffling as she slid the ring onto her own finger._

_"Ok," she said softly. "Ok. Yes. Yes, I'll marry you." Before Daryl even knew what to expect, she was wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a tight hug, seeking out his lips with her own. "I love you so much." _

_"Love you too," he chuckled, as Carol attacked him with more kisses._

_Carol's fingers clicked against the bathroom sink, her engagement ring tapping right along, the metal clink echoing through the quiet trailer. Daryl sat on the edge of the bath tub, while Carol leaned over the sink, staring into the mirror._

_"S'gonna be ok," he offered, turning the little white stick over and over in his hands. That pink plus sign had pretty much written their future for them. Carol chuckled a little and shrugged her shoulders._

_"Yeah, it'll be ok, but is this what we want?" she asked, turning to lean against the sink, her hand absentmindedly running over the flat of her stomach. Daryl couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips, but he said nothing. "Is it what you want?"_

_"What I want?" Daryl asked. "I want you. I asked ya to marry me, you said yes, we're gettin' married. Ain't this what usually comes next? 'Course I want this. I want this baby. Don't you?" His eyes searched hers, and she blinked back tears and sniffled._

_"I do," she said with a little nod. "I just wasn't expecting it to happen so soon. We aren't even married. We can't have the wedding when we were planning to, because I'll probably be due then, and…"_

_"Hey," Daryl offered, standing and bridging the gap between them, pulling her waist into his hand. "We can move the wedding up, if ya want. Or back. I don't care, s'long as I know I've got you." Carol smiled a little, moving her hand up his chest and over his heart. _

_"You've got me," she promised. She reached for the test, taking it from him, looking down at it with raised eyebrows. "You've got both of us." Daryl chuckled at that and leaned in for a kiss. "Now who's gonna break it to him?"_

_"Who?" Daryl asked, furrowing his brows._

_"Merle. Somebody has to tell him he's gonna be somebody's uncle." They laughed together then, both thrilled, both terrified, both feeling as if the world was spinning out from under them. Everything was happening so fast, but all they had to do was look at one another to feel like their feet were firmly on the ground again. They were going to be ok. Everything was going to be great._

The traffic snarl was behind them, but another one seemed to be looming on the horizon. As Daryl kept to the country roads near the state road, he passed a few cars that seemed to be speeding away from the direction he was heading. Whatever was up ahead, he wasn't looking forward to it, so he decided to stick to the back roads and hope that they didn't run into any problems.

Sophia had fallen asleep in Carol's arms. Carol clung to her little girl as she stared out the window and watched the trees flash by in a blur of green and brown.

"I shot her in the head," Carol murmured. "She just kept coming. She was…and Sophia saw." Carol choked back a sob. "I've tried so hard to protect our baby from monsters, and today she saw me shoot a woman between the eyes."

"You can't think like that," Daryl murmured quietly, reaching over to stroke her knee. She didn't flinch at his touch. She welcomed it. She'd missed this closeness. She'd missed having him to talk to, even though, at the moment, they were kind of forced into togetherness for the sake of survival and for the sake of their daughter. She was shaking, and he could feel it.

He eased the truck to a stop at the side of the road, and he cut the engine, scooting closer, reaching out to stroke her cheek.

"You did what ya had to do. You protected her." He held her face in his hand, urging her to meet his gaze.

"I killed that woman," Carol whimpered. "I shot her. She just kept…she kept coming, so I shot her in the head, and…I did that, Daryl. I killed her. I killed a person."

"No," Daryl murmured, shaking his head. "You saw what happened with Mrs. Murphy. That wasn't her. That wasn't…a person wouldn't keep comin' if ya shot 'em like ya did. That wasn't…maybe the reports were right. Maybe there's somethin' makin' 'em come back."

"That's crazy," Carol choked out.

"Might be crazy, but it might also be true." Carol squeezed her eyes shut, and he brushed his thumb over her cheek. "Look at me. Carol. Look at me." She opened her eyes again, and a few tears slipped free. "It's gonna be alright. We're gonna keep goin'. We're gonna get Sophia safe, and then we'll figure out what's next."

"It's a good plan," she sniffled. He nodded and leaned in to press his lips against hers, lingering there for a few moments, relishing the feel of being close to her again. When he pulled back, she leaned forward a little, opening her eyes.

"You gonna be alright?" She swallowed hard, trembling. And then she nodded.

"Gotta be."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Sugar and Spice

_They sat in the parking lot for a long while after their appointment. Carol clutched the ultrasound picture in her hand, and they both just stared at it. They'd known for some time now that they were going to be parents. Carol had a considerable baby bump, a term she absolutely loathed, but it was really the only term that could describe the rounded swell of her stomach these days. A very large bump that got in the way of many things, but she wouldn't trade it for anything._

_"I wasn't expecting that," she chuckled, finally breaking the silence. "I could have sworn we were having a boy."_

_"Nah, I knew it was a girl. Kinda glad she's a girl."_

_"You are?" Carol asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Why?"_

_"'Cause I'm a little terrified how another Dixon boy would turn out. Might turn out like his uncle Merle."_

_"Merle has his good qualities," Carol pointed out with an amused grin, "but I see your point." She smiled a little and curved her hand over her stomach. "I can't believe we're having a girl. I had a boy's named all picked out, and now I'm drawing a blank. Do you have any ideas?" Daryl chewed his bottom lip for a moment, eyeing her._

_"When I was a kid, we lived a couple miles down from my grandma on my mom's side. She'd watch me sometimes when things got bad at home. She was the only grandparent I really knew, ya know? I always liked goin' to her house. She made me feel safe. Her house was a safe place when I was scared. She died when I was little, but I still remember she wasn't like mama or daddy. He cleared his throat. "Her name was Sophia."_

_"Sophia," Carol said softly, her eyes glistening and brightening at the name. "Daryl, I love that."_

_"Always liked that name. She always made me feel like everything was gonna be ok, ya know?"_

_"Yeah," Carol murmured softly, reaching over to rub his arm. "Sophia's a beautiful name. I love it."_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Mmm," she hummed with a smile. _

_"Alright," he said with a nod. "Sophia. And you get to name the next one."_

_"There's gonna be a next one?"_

_"You kiddin'? I'd make ten Sophias with ya if you wanted." Carol nearly choked on that._

_"Well, let's just get me through this one before we think about having more, ok?" She leaned her head back against the head rest. "Kenzie."_

_"Huh?"_

_"I like the name Mackenzie. I don't know why. There's nobody I know with that name that would make me want to name a child that, but I just like it. I like Kenzie."_

_"If the next one's a girl, Kenzie's a good name. Kenzie Dixon. I like that." _

_"Well, let's not put the cart before the horse." Carol placed her hand over her burgeoning stomach, and she gave it a little pat. With a soft little sigh, she looked back up at Daryl. "It's still hard to believe it's happening."_

_"You're happy, though, right?" he asked, reaching over to take her hand._

_"Of course," she grinned. "I just think we raised the bar on whirlwind romances. That's ok though," she laughed. "I'm happy. You are?"_

_"Ain't never been this happy before." He ducked is head a little. "Don't have nothin' to compare it too, but as far as bein' happy goes, I'm the happiest I ever been." Carol sighed happily and leaned in to kiss him. _

_"Let's go home." Within minutes, they were out on the road and heading for home. Carol was too into her thoughts and excited about all the possibilities for decorating Sophia's room. She was even more excited about all the cute baby girl clothes. She'd been checking the selections at some of the department stores, and she had to admit that there were so many more options for little girls. More than likely, Sophia was going to be the frilliest, girliest-dressed little tomboy in Georgia._

_Carol's thoughts had her preoccupied, so she didn't notice the way Daryl tapped his fingers on his leg at every stoplight, how his leg shook just slightly, as if he was in a hurry. And it wasn't until he turned down the street toward their house that she noticed a moving truck out front of the house._

_"Daryl?" Carol asked softly. "What's going on?" She saw the grin spread over his face. _

_"You'll see," he said with a little nod, pulling up behind the truck and honking. Merle came walking out of the house with a big grin on his face. _

_"'Bout time you two got home! Hear I'm gonna have a little niece to spoil in a few months."_

_"How did…" Carol's mouth fell open._

_"I called him when you were in the bathroom," Daryl said sheepishly. "Had to tell him so we could get the surprise all ready." _

_"You…what are you two up to?" she asked, a smile spreading over her face. _

_"You'll just have to wait and see." Daryl turned to Merle. "It's ready?"_

_"Pretty much. They got everything in. It's gonna be up to you two to set it up."_

_"Daryl Dixon, what did you and your crazy brother do this time?" Carol asked, narrowing her eyes at him, still unable to contain the smile on her face. Daryl grabbed her hand and nodded toward the house._

_"Come see." He gave her hand a squeeze, and they followed Merle into the house. The room next to theirs had sat empty since they moved in, but the door was ajar, and Carol could see that boxes had been brought in. She bit her lip as Merle opened the door the rest of the way and made room for them to walk in. _

_An oak crib was in the corner surrounded by boxes. There was a matching changing table and chest of drawers. There was a rocking chair with a rocking foot rest, and sitting in the chair was a pink stuffed bear. _

_"Bought a blue one too, just in case, but I had a feelin' that my baby bro'd go and make a girl his first time 'round."_

_"Shut up," Daryl muttered, clearly amused but not wanting to give his brother too much power. "Just be glad I gave ya a copy of the key to my house. I'll be wantin' that back, ya know?" Merle snorted at that, and Carol moved across the room to the crib, gently running her hand against the railing. _

_"Oh my God," she murmured. "You two are...thank you so much." She sniffled and turned to hug Merle. He hadn't expected it, and he hugged her back a bit awkwardly before falling into it._

_-"Hey, what's family for if it ain't to help each other out? I kinda like to think I'm the reason this kid's comin' in the first place?"_

_"Oh, how do you figure that?" Daryl asked, moving to pull his arm around Carol's waist. She hugged him, too, and she leaned against him._

_"If I hadn't bought Carrie that beer and said it was from you, you probably never woulda got the damned nerve to talk to her." _

_"Sure I woulda," he muttered, scuffing the toe of his boot against the floor._

_"Just say 'thanks bro' and get it over with. Ya don't have to grovel or anything."_

_"Thanks, bro," Daryl said with an eye roll, as Carol moved to give her future brother-in-law another hug._

_"Just so you know, I charge 10 bucks for every damned dirty diaper ya try to push off on me." Merle walked out of the room, leaving Carol and Daryl alone._

_"This baby's so lucky," Carol murmured, placing her hand against her belly, taking a deep breath and vowing in that moment to do whatever it took to make sure her daughter would always feel safe and always know the love of her mama, her daddy, and even her uncle Merle._

A storm was rolling in, and it was getting darker much sooner than Daryl expected. After a bit of deliberation, Daryl pulled the truck off the road and onto an old hiking trail, hoping that they were far enough out that these things, whatever they were, wouldn't be anywhere around.

He pulled some blankets and food out of the back of the truck, pulling a tarp over the rest of their things to keep them dry from the storm, and by the time he got back into the cab, it was already starting to rain.

"Daddy, are we camping?" Sophia asked, as Carol opened up a package of crackers for her.

"Yeah, princess. We're gonna camp tonight."

"Where's the tent?"

"It's raining, see? We're going to sleep in the truck." Sophia looked at him skeptically.

"We can all sleep in the truck?" Sophia looked up at her mother with wide eyes, and Carol smiled down at her. "Will the monsters find us out here?"

"Mama and Daddy won't let the monsters hurt you," Carol promised. "You know that, right?" Sophia sighed, and then her eyes went wide.

"Oh no!"

"Honey, what is it?"

"My monster spray. I didn't bring it! How can we keep them away?" Sophia's eyes filled with tears, and Daryl pulled her into his lap.

"Hey," he promised. "Soph, I ain't gonna let nothin' happen to you. I'm gonna keep them monsters away, no matter what."

"You promise?"

"I promise, baby," he murmured, kissing her nose. "Now you don't worry 'bout anything, ok? You just eat, and then we'll go to sleep, and in the mornin', we'll be on the road again."

"I wanna go home," Sophia said quietly, her shoulders slumping as her mouth turned into a pout. Daryl pulled her into a bear hug.

"Hey," he said quietly nudging her chin. "I'm here. You're here. Mama's here. Don't gotta be in a house to have a home, do we?"

"Guess not," Sophia sighed. Daryl's gaze flickered to Carol's, and her eyes glistened with tears. "Just miss my bed. Miss my school."

"I know," Daryl said quietly, "but we might not get to go back. Maybe not for a long time. Maybe not ever. But I'll always be here. So will Mama, ok?"

"Ok, Daddy," Sophia said with a sniffle.

"You gonna eat your crackers and go to sleep?"

"Ok," she said with a solemn nod. She wriggled out of his lap and moved to sit between her parents, clutching onto Elsa with one arm as she nibbled at her crackers. Daryl sighed and glanced at Carol, and he noticed how her hand absentmindedly moved to her stomach, as it always tended to do when she was pregnant with Sophia and then with Kenzie. He frowned and looked away, feeling a lump rising in his throat.

He leaned back against the seat and stared out the window as the rain picked up and began to pour down onto the truck, distorting the view out the windshield. He watched the droplets cascade down the glass, and he closed his eyes, swallowing that lump in his throat. He couldn't protect Mackenzie, but he sure as hell was going to do whatever it took to protect the rest of his family, no matter what the cost.


	13. Chapter 13 - Remember

Chapter 13 – Remember

_Carol's eyes fluttered open as she slept in her hospital bed. She could hear Daryl speaking in soft tones, and she couldn't help herself as she peeked over at the cot the nurse had brought in for him. He lay back against it with Sophia sleeping against his chest. She was so new, just a few hours old. After her birth, Carol had held her and cooed over her and kissed her, but the labor had been arduous, and the delivery had been just as difficult. _

_Carol tried not to move. She was very sore, but she'd managed to lie on her side, giving her a perfect view of her husband and their new daughter. _

_"What do you think, Soph?" Daryl asked softly, his eyes closed as he lay back, rubbing the baby's back through her swaddling blanket. "Hmm? You gonna sleep all night? That's good, 'cause we wanna let Mama sleep, right?" The baby grunted in her sleep. "See, your mama? Daddy loves her so much. Never thought I'd meet anybody like her, but I was lucky. Now we're twice as lucky, 'cause we got you. You and your mama are the most important people in my life. Don't tell your uncle Merle that, 'cause that might just hurt his feelings." He chuckled a little, and Carol couldn't help but smile from the bed, closing her eyes, enjoying the sound of Daryl talking to their baby._

_The last few months had flown by. They'd finally got the baby's room all set up, they'd gotten married, they'd had their short but worth-it honeymoon, and within a month of coming back home, they were parents, and they were beginning a brand new chapter in their lives. _

_It was a little scary to think about for too long. They'd fallen into this thing hard and fast, but if you asked Carol, she wouldn't change a thing. Daryl was her best friend. Her partner. Sure, she'd taught him a few things in the bedroom, but he'd taught her a whole lot about love. They'd both been pretty lacking for the kind of affection most people have no trouble finding in day to day life, but somehow, these two had come together and found it in each other, and just to think about it made Carol love him all the more._

_"You sleep now, Soph. Promise I'll never let anybody hurt you. Promise I'll always keep you safe. You and your mama and…whoever else comes along." He kissed the top of her head. "Sleep now, sweet girl." _

_Carol turned slightly, watching the rise and fall of Daryl's chest. She knew him well enough now to know that he was already sleeping. She smiled a little and got out of bed, picking the baby up from his arms and gently cradling her as she took her to the portable crib. She kissed the top of Sophia's head, smiling as the baby's soft hair tickled her nose. _

_"Let's let Daddy sleep now," she whispered. "He's had a rough day." She grinned and put the baby down in the bed, stroking her hair softly until the baby settled and went to sleep._

_"What do you hear in there?" Carol giggled as she leaned back against the couch and Sophia rested her head against her mother's belly._

_"I hear sissy," Sophia giggled. Ever since they'd told her she was getting a new sister, Sophia had been obsessed with listening to her mother's belly, always wanting to press her ear up against it and whisper to her little sister._

_"Kenzie's talking to you, hmm?" Daryl asked as he sat on the floor, leaning his back against the couch. His arm was stretched back, and he had his hand resting on Carol's belly. "Don't think Kenzie can talk yet, Soph."_

_"Yes she can," Sophia said with an adamant nod. She leaned her head against Carol's belly again. Carol giggled in amusement. "She talks to me, 'cause I'm her sister." Carol felt Mackenzie kick, and Sophia jumped._

_"Did you feel that?" Carol asked._

_"She moved!"_

_"Kenzie's already trying to beat up on her big sister. I think our kids are more like you and Merle than I thought they'd be," Carol teased, ruffling Daryl's hair. She saw Daryl's shoulders slump slightly at the mention of Merle. He hadn't been around much the last couple of years. He'd been off and on in trouble with the law for one reason or another, and when he wasn't in jail, he pretty much kept to himself. Daryl had gone out there one night, and Merle had explained to him that he was all fucked up and he didn't want his niece to see him that way. _

_The last time Daryl had spoken to Merle, he'd told him that Carol was pregnant again, and then Merle was gone, and he had no idea where his brother was, but if he knew Merle as well as he figured, he'd turn up sooner or later._

_"Hey, he's ok. You know Merle. He can take care of himself," Carol promised. Daryl nodded, but Carol knew he wasn't completely convinced. "Hey, Soph, why don't you go play in your room until supper's ready?"_

_"Okay," Sophia said with a nod. "Bye, Kenzie. Talk to you later!" She gave Carol's belly a kiss and hurried off upstairs. Carol sat up and patted the couch cushion next to her. Daryl maneuvered himself up onto the couch, and Carol tugged at his arm until he was lying with his head in her lap. She ran her fingers through his shaggy locks and smiled down at him._

_"You know Merle," Carol continued. "He's got problems. We know that. We've known that for a while, but he's got the good sense to keep that stuff away from Sophia. He's going to be ok. He's going to figure everything out, and he'll be back. You just have to give him some time."_

_"He's my brother," Daryl murmured. "He's my blood. Just hate that he's out there and don't have nobody." He turned slightly, stroking Carol's belly. "Don't want our girls to ever know what that's like. To be alone, ya know?"_

_"They won't," Carol assured him. "Our girls will have us, and they'll have each other, and everything's going to be fine. Merle will come home, and everything will be alright." She leaned down and kissed his forehead. "You'll see."_

Ever since she was a baby, thunderstorms had helped Sophia sleep. By the time morning came, she was still out like a light, and Daryl was the first awake. He climbed out of the truck to take a piss, and it wasn't long before Carol was up and about as well, taking her business behind a bush. He couldn't help but smirk. He'd seen the woman spread eagle on a table giving birth to their child. He knew every damned inch of her, but she liked to pee in private.

When she came back around to the truck to join him, they stood side by side, shivering in the cool, morning air.

"What's the plan?" she asked quietly, eyeing him.

"We keep movin'," he said quietly. "Gotta get you and Sophia somewhere safe." She noticed how he seemed tense now, and she reached to touch his arm. He flinched.

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly. "Daryl?" Her eyes searched his, and he fought every urge to clam up and not say anything. He knew she needed him to talk. He needed to talk. He just hated the way he felt about himself in this moment. He hated that he was about to see that sadness in her eyes again.

"Had a dream about Kenzie last night," he said quietly.

"Oh," Carol murmured. She nodded and rubbed his arm. "I dream about her a lot. I dream about what she'd look like. I think she'd look like you."

"It ain't right she's gone," he said quietly, turning to lean against the side of the truck. "At the same time, m'glad she ain't here for this." He felt her hand slip into his.

"In the weeks after…after everything…I told myself it was for the best. She was too good for this world. It made it hurt a little less. At least that's what I told myself." She sniffled. "I miss her, Daryl. Every minute, my heart hurts, because she's not here. But I thank God that I survived. That you survived. And we still have Sophia. We're doing alright. Kenzie just…she wasn't meant to be."

"She was," Daryl argued. "I felt her. I'd touch your belly, and she'd kick, and I'd feel it. You'd feel it." He watched the tears slip down her cheek, and he swallowed the lump in his throat. "At the hospital, they let…they let me hold her for a minute. They…she was so tiny." He flinched at the memory. "I asked 'em to take her footprints for ya."

Carol thought back to the photo she'd packed of Kenzie's tiny foot prints, like miniature replicas of Sophia's.

"I didn't hold her," Carol choked out. "I should have held her."

"M'sorry," he murmured.

"Don't," Carol sniffled. "I asked them not to…they were going to bring her to me before they took her away, but I was…I couldn't believe it. I couldn't. I should have held her, Daryl. I should have let her know her mama loved her."

"Hey," he whispered, drawing her into his arms. She fell against him then, clutching his shirt and letting go of everything she'd been holding onto. She sobbed against his chest, her tears soaking through his shirt to his skin, and he held her tighter.

"I cried for her," Carol whimpered. "When you told me? All I wanted was to see my baby, but when the nurse offered to bring her, I froze. I couldn't. What kind of mother doesn't want to hold her baby?"

"It wasn't…you couldn't…I get it." He clutched at her back. "Kenzie knew her mama loved her. You did. It just…everything happened, and I hated myself for it. And I hated that I couldn't do anything to bring her back, to make you happy again."

Carol pulled back a little, and Daryl wiped her tears away.

"And somethin' happened. One day, you were ready to talk, and I wasn't, and everything got so messed up. I'm so sorry, Carol. I'm sorry for what happened to us. M'sorry I couldn't help you like I should've."

"You were grieving," Carol murmured. "We both were. We just didn't know how to grieve together." She gently placed her hand against his cheek. "I was alone. But so were you. And I'm sorry."

"Don't." He shook his head, blinking back his own tears. "You ain't got a thing to apologize for." He leaned in and pressed his lips against her forehead. "I shoulda been stronger."

"You lost your daughter. We lost our daughter, Daryl. I don't know how anybody can be strong after something like that." She fell into him again, clutching him, resting her head against his chest. "But we're here now. We're ok. Sophia's ok. We can be strong. We can keep going. For Mackenzie." She looked up at him, and he nodded.

"And for Sophia." He swept his hand against her cheek before pressing his lips down against hers.

"Mommy? I'm hungry!" Sophia poked her head out of the back window of the truck. Carol and Daryl pulled apart to see the smile spread over Sophia's face at the sight of her parents kissing.

"Let's see what we can find, ok, baby?" Carol called to her daughter. Sophia giggled and pulled her tiny frame through the small window. "Sophia Dixon! Where did you ever learn how to do something like that?" Carol sighed, exasperated, wiping away the remaining damp streaks against her cheeks from her tears.

"She's a Dixon. Dixons find a way," Daryl chuckled, giving Carol's hand a squeeze. "C'mon. Let's find somethin' to eat, and then we'll hit the road." Carol nodded and walked with her husband toward the truck, both of them terrified but ready to push forward for the sake of their daughter. One thing was clear, without a shadow of a doubt. Sophia's safety and well-being was the priority, and they'd do anything to make sure they kept her safe.


	14. Chapter 14 - Hunker Down

Chapter 14 – Hunker Down

It was dark by the time Daryl pulled the truck down a bumpy gravel road. It led up to a big, old farmhouse. It was spacious, exactly something that he always wanted for his family. He didn't know a lick about farming or farm animals, but he'd always had this image in his head of his kids running along the fences and playing and tiring themselves out in the corn fields while he sat on the porch with Carol and watched them play to their hearts' content.

He only let himself think about that for a moment before he climbed out of the truck.

"You got her?"

"Yeah," Carol assured him, cradling her sleeping daughter in her arms. Sophia had been out for about an hour, exhausted and full of questions, she'd struggled to the very end to keep her eyes open. She'd lost the battle quickly, and there would be no waking her until she was ready to wake.

Daryl reached for the shotgun under the bench seat, and Carol gripped his wrist.

"Please, be careful," she urged.

"Promise," he murmured, giving her fingers a little squeeze. "Stay here 'til I come back for ya." He gently closed the door, turning on the flashlight and letting the light flood over the ground ahead of him. The grass on the lawn was neatly cut, and the flowerbeds around the front porch had been tended to. Somebody had loved this place and taken care of it, but nobody was home now, because the front door was wide open, and if anybody was inside, it was one of _those_, not a person. Not anymore.

Daryl held his breath as he stepped onto the creaky wooden porch steps. A shrill squeak made him jump, but he realized it was only the porch swing moving in the breeze. He cleared his throat and moved to stand just inside the door, flashing the light inside. There were papers strewn all over the floor, probably having blown off of a desk from the wind with the door hanging wide open. He peered around inside, looking for any sign of trouble.

He gave the door a tap with his knuckles. And then another tap. Another one, this time a little louder. He could hear something upstairs. It was a banging noise and growl, like a wild animal trapped inside. It sent a shiver right through him.

He peered back at the truck, unable to see Carol and Sophia inside, but he knew they were. He held his hand up in a motion to tell them to wait, and he held the butt of the flashlight between his teeth while he checked to make sure the shotgun was loaded.

Keeping the small flashlight clenched between his teeth, his grabbed the shotgun with both hands, bracing it in front of himself as he stepped further into the house, closing the door to assure nothing else got in behind him.

He checked the downstairs thoroughly, even looking down into the cellar, where there were plenty of canned and boxed groceries just waiting to be scavenged. The thumping from upstairs grew louder as he approached the stairs, and he swallowed down every bit of fear he could, taking each step slowly, the creaking on the oak steps making the thumping upstairs grow louder, more frantic.

He checked each room. Each room was left as if the people leaving were in a hurry. A suitcase was strewn across one bed, left behind, half-packed. A photo album lay on the floor, pictures spilling out as if the person carefully tucking them away for safekeeping had been distracted by someone. Something.

He moved toward the door where the thumping was coming from. It was the bathroom door to the master bedroom suite. The handle was wrapped with something. A child's jump rope. It was tied shut, the other end of the rope knotted around the handle of chest of drawers.

_Aim for the head. Aim for the head. _

His hand shook as he reached out, silently slipping the jump rope off of the door handle. He curled his fingers around the handle and gently turned it pushing it open. In no time at all, the figure of a man lunged forward. He had a gaping wound on the side of his neck, causing him to hold his head at an unnatural angle. His eyes were pure white, and his teeth gnashed as he reached out for Daryl. Daryl took several large steps back, his heart pounding in his chest as he fell over the bed in the master room. He clenched his mouth around the flashlight, shining it right into the face of his attacker as he crawled over him, snarling, moaning like something out of a horror movie.

"Fuck!" Daryl yelled out, getting a whiff of decay filling his nostrils. He held the body off, pushing the shotgun away from himself, keeping the teeth away from his own skin. He finally pushed hard enough to get the man off of him, pushing him back against the wall. Holding steady he climbed to his feet, he aimed the gun right at his assailant's forehead, pulling the trigger. In moments, the wall was coated in dark brown stains. Dead blood. Daryl grimaced and held his hand over his mouth, trying to keep his gag reflex down as the stench overpowered the room.

Doing the only thing he could think to do, he dragged the body into the master bathroom, shut the door, and then left the suit, shutting it out and making a mental note not to let Sophia near that room.

By the time he returned to the truck, Carol was rifling through the back, pulling packs out and slinging them over her shoulders. She turned when she heard his footsteps scraping against the pavement.

"I heard a gunshot," she murmured, rushing to him, flinging her arms around his neck. "Are you ok?"

"I'm ok. I'm ok. One of them things was in the bathroom. I took care of it. It's done. Just don't let Soph go into the bedroom with the closed door. I shut it away in the bathroom. It's a mess." Carol cringed at that.

"You sure you're ok?"

"M'alright," he promised. "Want me to carry something?"

"Just get Sophia, if you could?" Daryl nodded and gently pulled his daughter out of the cab and into his arms.

"We'll stay downstairs. Stay together. Plenty of food in the cellar. We'll take what we can, load it in the truck. Nobody's comin' back here."

"You sure?" Carol asked, eyes daring around as they approached the porch.

"Can't go back to a graveyard," he murmured, reaching out and opening the front door and letting Carol in first. Once inside, Daryl deposited Sophia onto the couch, and she curled up, her arms tightening around Elsa as Daryl joined Carol in putting their packs down. "Ain't gonna need all this tonight."

"I know," she said quietly. "I just didn't want to leave them." She opened one pack, showing Daryl what was inside. The pictures. "Maybe it's stupid, but I can't leave them."

"I get it," he said quietly, brushing his hand over her shoulder. "C'mon. Let's get somethin' to eat. I can get a fire goin'." Carol nodded, and she moved over to the couch, gently brushing her hand over Sophia's cheek.

"We should wake her," Carol said quietly. "She'll be hungry."

"Let her sleep. She's tired. Gonna need rest. There'll be plenty for her when she wakes up." Carol knew he was right, and she followed him down to the cellar to retrieve the canning jars filled with all sorts of foods. There were spiced pears, green beans, corn, homemade salsas, peas, carrots and peaches. There were a few empty crates scattered on the floor, so Carol took it upon herself to grab them up and fill each one, packing in as many jars as she could.

Daryl helped her carry them upstairs, and then he went back down for more. There were boxes of jerky and cans of mixed nuts. They'd always tried to keep Sophia away from snack foods, but now, it seemed, snack foods might just save their lives if the hunger got too bad.

Carol lit a candle in the kitchen and set about opening cans of spaghetti rings. Daryl excused himself and headed out behind the house. Carol wasn't sure what he was doing until the lights in the house suddenly went on, and the electronic items beeped to life. She jumped, and when Daryl came back in, he grinned at her.

"Found the generator. It's full'a fuel, too."

"I knew I married you for a reason," she teased, greeting him with kiss when he came up behind her and she turned in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him, relishing the feel of his mouth against hers. Daryl chuckled against the kiss, and when he pulled back, he ran his thumb over her lips.

"Let's eat, and then we'll go to bed."

"I'm don't think I could sleep."

"Me neither," he said with a little grin pulling at his lips.

"Oh, you have other plans in mind, Mr. Dixon?"

"Couple bottles of wine in the cellar. Thought we might have a drink, help us sleep. See what happens next."

"I like the way you think." She kissed him again before squirming out of his arms and moving to grab the bowls and take them over to the microwave. Daryl leaned against the counter, watching his wife work.

Before long, they had finished their meals, and Daryl scrounged around in the cupboards for a couple of wine glasses.

"Not sure if red or white goes better with s'ghetti rings," Daryl said with a snort.

"Oh, white, definitely. Red would just be too pretentious." Carol held her head up, emulating a snobbish manner, before she grinned and held her glass out to him. Daryl poured the warm wine into the glass, he kept his eyes on Carol as she took her first sip. She sighed, moaning softly at the taste.

"C'mon."

"Where are we going?" Carol asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You'll see." He held his hand out to her, and she took it, letting him lead her into the living room. Sophia was still crashing on the sofa, so Daryl picked up a couple of throw blankets and pillows and took them into the dining room.

"What are we doing?" she asked, gripping his hand tightly before he let go of her and made a move to toss the blankets on the floor next to the table. He tossed the pillows down, too, and he sat down, bringing the wine bottle between his legs, pouring himself a glass. Carol considered the image for a moment, before Daryl beckoned her to join him.

She went to her knees, crawling over to sit beside him. They nudged at each other's shoulders for a moment, sipping their wine in silence, before Daryl finally made the move and brought his arm around his wife's shoulders, kissing her jaw, trying to play it smooth like a quarterback with the cheerleader in the back of his daddy's car.

"What are you doing?" Carol giggled. "Sophia's sleeping in the next room."

"Sophia sleeps through anything, remember?"

"Daryl…" She moaned softly, her inhibitions quickly flying out the window. "We shouldn't…"

"Want me to stop?"

"No," she gasped, as his tongue swirled out over her earlobe before he nibbled there. Soon, wine glasses were being set aside, and he was lowering her down against the blankets and pillows. Carol sighed softly as Daryl's thigh nudged between her legs, and his mouth was hot against her collarbone. Without her even needing to tell him, his hands moved up her sides, thumbs brushing over her breasts through the material of her shirt and bra. He could already feel the hard little pebbles waiting for him, just begging to be sucked and teased.

As he began to work at getting her shirt off, a cry came from the living room.

"Mama? Daddy?" They collapsed together in frustration. Daryl chuckled, resting his forehead against her shoulder for a moment. Carol couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips.

"Come on," she urged, pushing at his shoulders. "We can do this later, right?" The noise that escaped his throat was a cross between a moan and a whimper, and Carol couldn't help herself. She ran her hand over his ass and gave it a little squeeze, promising that they could pick up where they left off later, when Sophia was soundly back to sleep and there was no chance of interruption.


	15. Chapter 15 - Please

Chapter 15: Please

**_Author's Note: Hey guys! I know it's been almost five months since I've updated this one, but I hate leaving things unfinished, so I'm going to give this one a good effort. I've spent the past 2 days re-reading everything, and I feel ready to continue. Hope you guys are ready, too! Now, if you'll remember, Carol and Daryl were just about to get down to some lovin' when they were cutely interrupted by their adorable daughter, Sophia. Let's see how they're doing, shall we?_**

_"Hi, sweet girl," Carol cooed, rocking her baby daughter back and forth as she stood at the nursery window. The orange and pink glow of the sunset beamed through the yellow, lace curtains, and the baby blinked up at her mother. The little one sucked her pudgy fingers in her mouth and grunted as Carol kissed her forehead._

_The door creaked open, and Daryl walked in, eyes fixed on his wife as he crossed the nursery. _

_"Boots!" Carol scolded. He stopped, backing up and kicking his grimy work boots off in the hallway. "Thank you. It took a week to get the stains out last time." _

_"Sorry," he said sheepishly, crossing the room to greet her with a kiss on the cheek. _

_"I still love you," she promised with a laugh._

_"How's this little lady doin' today?"_

_"She's great. She had her shots, so she was a little grumpy, but she ate like a champ, and now she's _just_ about ready to go to sleep. Aren't you baby girl?" The baby grunted again, and Daryl chuckled, reaching out to take the baby from her mother's arms. He cradled her softly, kissing the top of her warm, fuzzy head, and then he put her down in the crib, gently rubbing her belly like he always did to soothe her to sleep._

_"You're so good with her," Carol said with a sleepy smile, leaning back against the wall. Daryl stopped his motions, pulling his hand back from the baby before slowly backing away from the crib. He turned, putting his finger to his lips. _

_"She's sleepin'," he murmured, pulling his wife into his arms. _

_"You're a miracle worker, you know that?" she whispered, kissing his nose as his hand moved up her back. Daryl snorted, and the baby began to cry. Carol started to go toward her, but he held her close._

_"S'alright. She'll go back to sleep." The cries were loud and insistent, and Carol sighed, shaking her head._

_"Not this time," she replied, breaking away from him. She moved to the crib then, leaning over to scoop the baby into her arms, only to find a pile of blankets. "Daryl? Where's the baby?"_

_"Whaddya mean? What baby?" Carol turned back to see Daryl sitting in the rocking chair as the wallpaper began to peel away from the nursery wall. _

_"Daryl! Where's Kenzie!" She was frantic, turning back to the crib, pulling the blankets out, feeling around, heart thudding in her ears as the baby's cries grew more shrill, more urgent. "Daryl, where's our baby?!"_

_"We don't have a baby. Carol! We don't have a baby." _

_"No! Kenzie! Kenzie!" She reached back into the crib, pulling out a soft, pink teddy bear. It was damp and warm, and she dropped it, shaking as she saw the blood sliding down her palm. "Oh God! No! My baby!"_

...

She woke up, sitting straight up on the dining room floor, body covered in a thin sheen of sweat. He gasped for breath as her heart pounded in her chest. She was crying, shuddering sobs choking from her throat. Daryl sat up quickly, squinting into the darkness as his eyes adjusted. She was shaking beside him, and he reached out, hands finding purchase on her shoulders.

"Carol? Hey. Sweetheart, what's wrong?" She collapsed against him, crying against his chest, and all he could do as she worked through it was stroke her hair and her back and wait for her to calm down. He knew what was wrong. Of course, he knew. There was only one thing that she could be dreaming about that would hurt her in such a way. Kenzie. "S'alright. I'm here. Hey." She lifted her head then, and he could see the way her eyes glimmered with tears. Her lip trembled, and she wiped at her face. He leaned forward, kissing her forehead gently, his breath warming her skin as she began to relax.

"She was there," Carol sobbed. "She was there, and then she wasn't. She was so beautiful. And then everything was…everything was…oh God, Daryl, it was so bad, but…but all I want to do is go to sleep so I can see her again. I want to see her. My baby…" She was shaking, and Daryl gently rubbed her arms, waiting for the trembling to subside.

"I see her, too. See what she might look like at Sophia's age. It hurts. Always will. It's ok." She sniffled then, wiping at her eyes and letting Daryl pull her down with him back against the throw blankets and pillows. She rested her head upon his chest, closing her eyes as the gentle rhythm of his heart soothed her. Hot tears rolled down her face, soaking his shirt, but the sobbing subsided.

Outside, the wind picked up, and the old farm house creaked and groaned as it braced itself against the elements. Daryl continued to stroke her back and her hair, and it wasn't long before she was sitting up just enough to lean down and press her lips against his.

"Thank you," she whispered, running her fingertips over his jaw line.

"What for?"

"For this," she whispered. "I needed you, and you were here for me." Daryl swallowed the lump in his throat, and he nodded, closing his eyes as she kissed him again. And then her hands were on his chest, and he realized where this was going, and as much as he wanted it, he worried for her. He gently pushed back against her shoulders.

"Hey. Hey," he murmured. "Slow down."

"Please," she whispered, kissing his jaw, his cheek, his lips. "Please, just…hold me." Her fingers clutched his shirt then, twisting it a little, and she brought him closer, opening up to him. "I just want to feel something. To feel…" She muffled her words against his mouth, and he rolled over her then, framing her face with his hands, pulling back to look at her.

"You sure about this?"

"I'm sure," she said with a nod, tugging at his shirt. "I want to be with my husband. I want to forget about the world for a little while. I just want…I want you." Her voice trembled then, and Daryl hesitated for a moment before her hands were moving his shirt up, easing it over his back. He quickly lifted his arms up, helping her strip it off of him. Her hands were on his chest then, and she was craning upward, pressing open mouth kisses to his collarbones. He closed his eyes as she kissed him, gently stroking the back of her head as her hands fumbled with his pants.

He brought his hands to hers, stilling her, and she peered up at him in the darkness as he moved away, standing. She reached out for him, afraid he was pushing her away, but when he bent to strip the rest of his clothes off, she breathed a sigh of relief, slipping out of her own clothes, kicking them to the side, stripping herself bare for him.

"Come here," she whispered, fingers trembling as she reached for his hand. The warmth of his calloused palm against her fingertips sent shivers up her spine, and as she focused on the warmth of his skin, the way his body felt against hers as crawled over her, she began to forget, just for a little while.

He pressed kisses over her neck and chest, exploring her like it was the first time all over again. It was different this time, an end, as Carol had put it the other night, but at the same time, a beginning for something else. He was filled with hope, as her arms circled around his broad shoulders, hands caressed his back, mouth pressed kisses to his neck and chest.

They took their time, exploring, savoring, loving. And when it was over, he pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her from behind, pressing against her backside as she leaned against his chest. His hand moved down to her stomach, gently stroking her there. He knew she still ached sometimes. He knew she still longed for the life they had, back before the accident, back before their lives were shattered into unrecognizable pieces. He wanted to give that to her, wanted to be able to piece it back together, give her everything that made her feel happy and whole before.

He kissed the space between her shoulder blades, and she sighed against his touch.

"We're gonna be ok?" Daryl asked softly, continuing to stroke slow, gentle circles over her stomach. She placed her hand over his against her stomach and linked their fingers together.

"We're gonna be ok," she promised. He closed his eyes then, nuzzling the back of her neck, thinking of tomorrow, thinking of her, thinking of doing whatever it took to make sure his family stayed together, stayed safe, stayed alive. As he drifted off to sleep, he made a silent vow and let the comforting arms of sleep pull him under.


	16. Chapter 16: High Road

Chapter 16: High Road

_"What's the matter with you?" Daryl asked, stepping over a bag of garbage strewn across the threshold. The motel door was wide open, and Merle was spread out on the bed in a white tee and a pair of black sweat pants. Merle cracked one eye open as Daryl walked in, jarring slightly at the intrusion._

_"Oh, hey baby brother," he said with a crooked smile, fisting an old bottle of beer and bringing it to his lips. He swallowed the warm drink and coughed sitting up and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Tastes like old dog piss."_

_"What'd you take?" Daryl asked, crossing the room as Merle sat up on the bed._

_"Nothin'," Merle snorted._

_"Nothin' my ass. What shit are you on this time?"_

_"Don't worry about me, little brother. I'm doin' just fine."_

_"Like hell you are," Daryl growled. "What's your goddamned problem? You tryin' to kill yourself?" He kicked Merle's leg, making him scoot over. He sat down on the couch and shook his head._

_"What're you doin' here?"_

_"I came here 'cause I ain't seen you in God knows how long. Sophia's been askin' about you."_

_"She don't need to see me like this," Merle said, waving his hand to dismiss his brother._

_"You're right. She don't. But she needs her uncle, so you gotta stop messin' around with this shit." He picked up a bag of powder off the nightstand. "Jesus Christ, Merle. You tryin' to get yourself put in prison? Or killed? That's exactly what's gonna happen to ya, you know?"_

_"I can take care of myself. Been doin' it all my life, so you just take care'a your own family."_

_"You're my family too, bro," Daryl pointed out. "And Carol's havin' another baby." _

_"Carrie's knocked up again?" Merle asked, eyes widening with surprise. Daryl nodded._

_"We're havin' another little girl."_

_"Damn," Merle chuckled. "Good for you, bro. I'm happy for ya. Give Carrie a kiss for me, alright?"_

_"You can give her one for yourself if you'd clean your act up."_

_"I'm gonna be alright, little brother," Merle promised. "Just you wait. Next time you see me, I'll be a new man. Clean. Sober. I promise." Daryl sighed. He'd heard these promises before. _

_"How long you in town for?"_

_"Dunno. Saw a couple guys about a couple jobs. Might head up to Nashville. Old drinkin' buddy'a mine lives up there. Might give him a call." Daryl nodded somberly and stood. _

_"Take care of yourself, bro. Don't be a stranger."_

_"You take care of Carrie and them girls. Uncle Merle'll be back soon." Merle lay back down on the bed, rubbing his bloodshot eyes, and Daryl walked out of the motel room, unaware that the next time he'd see his brother, it would be under the worst of circumstances._

...

"Daddy, will Uncle Merle be at his fishing cabin?" Sophia asked, as she sat on the tailgate of the truck. Daryl shoved the last heavy crate full of food from the cellar into place and secured a tarp over the lot of it.

"Dunno, Princess. Uncle Merle was talkin' 'bout goin' to Tennessee last time I talked to him. Here. Hop down." He grabbed her around the waist and helped her down onto the ground.

"Daddy, where's Tennessee?"

"Remember your maps from school? It's north of us a ways."

"Oh yeah," she said with a nod. "Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia."

"Good job," he said with a grin, patting the top of her head. "Let's go see what Mama's doin', ok?"

"Ok," she said with a nod, grabbing Elsa off the tailgate before Daryl shut the hatch. They started up the path together, just as Carol came walking out.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Oh no," Carol said with a grin, "not yet. This little lady needs a bath before we hit the road. We all could use one. Might as well put that hot water to use while the generator's still kicking, right?"

"Good idea," he smirked. "You go first, Soph?"

"Do I _have_ to?" she whined.

"Yes, young lady, you do," Carol replied in her firmest mom voice. Sophia sighed and clomped up the steps and into the house. Carol was just about to turn and follow after her when Daryl caught her around the middle.

"Hey you," he murmured against her ear, "ya should've mentioned that shower last night when Soph was sleepin'. I could'a joined ya." He nuzzled her neck, and she giggled as his hand moved up and down her back.

"It must have slipped my mind," she sighed. "I won't make that mistake again." She leaned in, kissing him softly, sighing as he opened his mouth to deepen the kiss. She snaked her arms around his neck and let him hold her. It felt good to be in his arms again, and she didn't want the moment to end. But there was a little girl in need of a bath, and they had to get out on the road while they had plenty of daylight left. She sighed softly, gently pushing back on his chest. "You wanna pack up the rest of the stuff while I help Sophia?"

"Sure," he murmured.

"Daryl?"

"Hmm?"

"What are we gonna do?" she asked, voice low as she moved to take his hand in hers.

"We'll figure somethin' out. We'll stay on the back roads if we have to. Whatever this thing is, it's…I think it's everywhere. And I think that we just gotta hide out, wait it out."

"I don't think there's going to be any waiting this out, Daryl. You know what I heard last night?"

"What's that?"

"Nothing," she whispered, eyes tearing up. "I didn't hear any explosions. I didn't hear any sirens. I didn't hear helicopters flying over. It's too quiet, Daryl."

"Hey," he murmured, squeezing her hand, "whatever happens, we're gonna get through it together. You hear me?"

"I hear you," she said with a nod.

"You go on in. Help Sophia with her bath. I'll finish packin' up out here."

"Thank you." She kissed him and headed into the house, and Daryl lowered himself down onto the steps, staring out over the field that spanned out in front of the house. She was right. Everything was quiet. Every once in a while, there would be a gunshot echoing from somewhere off the highway. But there were no planes flying overhead. No news or medical choppers. No fire trucks blaring their horns from miles away. It was silent, like the world had ended, and it was one of the most unnatural feelings he'd ever felt.

He looked around, shivering as the breeze picked up, and he stood, holding his hand above his eyes, shielding them as he peeked out over the field, seeing something moving in the distance.

His mouth went dry, and he rushed to the truck, rummaging through the back until he retrieved a rifle with a scope on it. He climbed up, standing on the top of the cab, pointing the rifle out at the figure heading his direction.

It was a male, he could tell. He wore a pair of brown pants and a tan shirt, bloodied and ripped. There appeared to be a badge of some sort on his chest, and he was limping, walking with his ankle bent at an unnatural angle. Daryl watched through the scope as blood and bone pushed through the surface of the man's boot. He cringed, moving the scope to look at his face. His expression was vacant. A large chunk of his cheek was ripped out, and the whole left side of his jaw was visible. Blood dripped from what was left of his lips, and he moved forward as if he was immune to pain. Just like Mrs. Murphy and like the woman Carol had put down.

He put a little pressure on the trigger, swallowing hard as he lined his shot up with the forehead. But he heard Sophia's laughter coming from the house, and he knew that the second he pulled that trigger, Carol would panic, and he didn't want that.

He huffed loudly, putting the gun back down into the back of the truck. He hopped down, grabbing his knife and stalking off toward the field.

"Come on," he murmured under his breath as he stepped into the field, boots sinking slightly into the soft, damp soil. He heard the growl next, and he knew. There was no helping this man. This wasn't even a man anymore. "Come on. Come on. Let's just get this over with." He white knuckled the knife. He caught a whiff of rotting flesh as the wind changed direction, and he coughed, covering his nose briefly. The moment he was in arm's length of the man in uniform, he lunged his skull into the side of his head, tumbling to the ground with him as he fell still and silent. His stomach turned, and he bit back the urge to heave at the sound of bone cracking when he pulled out the knife. Blood trickled from the wound, and Daryl wiped the blade on the already ripped shirt.

"Sorry Officer…Walsh," he murmured, reading the name tag. "Guess even the cops ain't safe in this shit, huh?" He stood up, looking back toward the house. "What the hell is happening?" He swallowed hard and started the trek back through the field and toward the house. In the course of a couple of days, the world had turned upside down, and nothing made sense anymore. Well, almost nothing. The closer he got to the house, the more he could hear Sophia's laughter from the house. That made sense. He could hear Carol laughing too. That made sense. Everything else in the whole goddamned world made no sense at all, but as long as he had Carol and Sophia, he had his home. They were his world, and without them, he knew he'd be lost.

...

They'd drove for a good hour before Carol had spoken.

"You're sure this is the right way to the cabin?"

"Sure I'm sure. Ain't been that long since I was there." Carol saw him wince then, as if he'd said the wrong thing.

"It's ok. I know you spent time with him after Kenzie. You…you never really told me how he was."

"He seemed sober," Daryl said quietly. "Seemed like he was gettin' his shit together. But tellin' him about Kenzie was just…he was devastated. Was lookin' forward to havin' another niece. Another reason to stay clean, ya know?"

"I miss him," Carol admitted. "I wish he'd come to see me. And Sophia."

"He didn't know what to say. You know Merle. Think he was too afraid he'd make ya cry." He had his arm draped across the seat. Sophia was curled up asleep against his side. He gently rubbed Carol's shoulder. "Everybody deals with things different, ya know?"

"I know," she said gently. "If I do see him again, I'm going to thank him for thinking of me. For taking care of you when you needed to get away."

"We'll see him again," Daryl said with a nod. "He's a tough sumbitch."

"That he is," Carol chuckled. "I think it runs in the family." Daryl gave her a little smirk, squeezing her shoulder as he took a wide curve and continued on an incline as the Georgia hills gave way to mountains.


End file.
